On the New Passive
(2011) In Syntax 14(2). p.148-178- Abstract
- The so-called New Passive in Icelandic takes the form 'it was elected us' (or, e.g., 'then was elected us', without an expletive), instead of the standard passive form 'we were elected'. It has neither A-movement to subject nor acc-to-nom conversion, which are otherwise diagnostic of the canonical passive in Icelandic and related languages. Some researchers have argued that "passive" is in fact a misnomer and that the construction should instead be analyzed as an active one, with a nominative pro. This paper argues instead in favor of a minimalist analysis, where the New Passive is closely related to the impersonal P passive (with a PP, type 'then was shouted at us'), which is highly common and productive in Icelandic. On the approach... (More)
- The so-called New Passive in Icelandic takes the form 'it was elected us' (or, e.g., 'then was elected us', without an expletive), instead of the standard passive form 'we were elected'. It has neither A-movement to subject nor acc-to-nom conversion, which are otherwise diagnostic of the canonical passive in Icelandic and related languages. Some researchers have argued that "passive" is in fact a misnomer and that the construction should instead be analyzed as an active one, with a nominative pro. This paper argues instead in favor of a minimalist analysis, where the New Passive is closely related to the impersonal P passive (with a PP, type 'then was shouted at us'), which is highly common and productive in Icelandic. On the approach pursued, acc-to-nom conversion involves case-star deletion, absent from the New Passive (much as from so-called psych and fate (un)accusatives in standard Icelandic). Additionally, the New Passive has a strong vP phase edge, blocking A-movement, in contrast to the defective vP edge in the canonical passive. The paper argues that A-grounding or "freezing" is brought about by phi-minimality, A-islands thus arising in a parallel fashion with A'-islands. (Less)
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https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1458887
- author
- Sigurðsson, Halldor Armann LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2011
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Syntax
- volume
- 14
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 148 - 178
- publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000290406600003
- scopus:79955719381
- ISSN
- 1368-0005
- DOI
- 10.1111/j.1467-9612.2010.00150.x
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Swedish (015011001)
- id
- 13edda3b-fed9-4917-a0fd-a8aacb428996 (old id 1458887)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 13:21:31
- date last changed
- 2022-04-14 00:41:32
@article{13edda3b-fed9-4917-a0fd-a8aacb428996,
abstract = {{The so-called New Passive in Icelandic takes the form 'it was elected us' (or, e.g., 'then was elected us', without an expletive), instead of the standard passive form 'we were elected'. It has neither A-movement to subject nor acc-to-nom conversion, which are otherwise diagnostic of the canonical passive in Icelandic and related languages. Some researchers have argued that "passive" is in fact a misnomer and that the construction should instead be analyzed as an active one, with a nominative pro. This paper argues instead in favor of a minimalist analysis, where the New Passive is closely related to the impersonal P passive (with a PP, type 'then was shouted at us'), which is highly common and productive in Icelandic. On the approach pursued, acc-to-nom conversion involves case-star deletion, absent from the New Passive (much as from so-called psych and fate (un)accusatives in standard Icelandic). Additionally, the New Passive has a strong vP phase edge, blocking A-movement, in contrast to the defective vP edge in the canonical passive. The paper argues that A-grounding or "freezing" is brought about by phi-minimality, A-islands thus arising in a parallel fashion with A'-islands.}},
author = {{Sigurðsson, Halldor Armann}},
issn = {{1368-0005}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{148--178}},
publisher = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
series = {{Syntax}},
title = {{On the New Passive}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3321867/4226594.pdf}},
doi = {{10.1111/j.1467-9612.2010.00150.x}},
volume = {{14}},
year = {{2011}},
}