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Subject Float, Low Subject Trapping, and Case in Icelandic

Sigurdsson, Halldor Armann LU (2019) p.591-618
Abstract
This article describes and discusses two peculiar sets of (in)defi niteness
facts applying to subjects in Icelandic, here referred to as Subject Float
and Low Subject Trapping. Indefi nite subjects (commonly quantifi ed) in
presentational sentences and related clause types may either occupy the
complement position within the predicate phrase or “fl oat” into various
positions in the middle fi eld. This is Subject Float, yielding variation such
as “There would (many farmers) then (many farmers) probably (many
farmers) be (?*many farmers) elected (many farmers)”. Conversely, and
unexpectedly, defi nite NP subjects of some adjectival and verbal predicates
must stay in the complement position. This is Low... (More)
This article describes and discusses two peculiar sets of (in)defi niteness
facts applying to subjects in Icelandic, here referred to as Subject Float
and Low Subject Trapping. Indefi nite subjects (commonly quantifi ed) in
presentational sentences and related clause types may either occupy the
complement position within the predicate phrase or “fl oat” into various
positions in the middle fi eld. This is Subject Float, yielding variation such
as “There would (many farmers) then (many farmers) probably (many
farmers) be (?*many farmers) elected (many farmers)”. Conversely, and
unexpectedly, defi nite NP subjects of some adjectival and verbal predicates
must stay in the complement position. This is Low Subject Trapping,
yielding orders such as “there is cold radiator-the” and “there cooled
radiator-the”. It is shown that the licensing of subject NPs in the various
positions in Subject Float and in the complement position in Low Subject
Trapping is unrelated to specifi c grammatical cases, thus refuting the widely
adopted case approach to NP licensing. Although Icelandic case marking
has been widely discussed, Subject Float and Low Subject Trapping have
not previously received a detailed scrutiny; these phenomena provide
additional and partly new knockout arguments against the case approach to
NP licensing and NP movement. While high NP raising to subject (Spec,IP)
is unaffected by case, it seems to involve both Person and Topic matching. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Definiteness Effect, Subject Float, Low Subject Trapping, Icelandic
host publication
The sign of the V : Papers in honour of Sten Vikner - Papers in honour of Sten Vikner
editor
Christensen, Ken Ramshøj ; Jørgensen, Henrik and Wood, Johanna L.
pages
591 - 618
publisher
Aarhus University
ISBN
978-87-7507-461-7
978-87-91134-05-0
DOI
10.7146/aul.348.116
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3f542d45-5d92-464e-9621-9b7810c092d5
date added to LUP
2020-01-06 16:02:57
date last changed
2021-12-02 09:02:50
@inbook{3f542d45-5d92-464e-9621-9b7810c092d5,
  abstract     = {{This article describes and discusses two peculiar sets of (in)defi niteness<br/>facts applying to subjects in Icelandic, here referred to as Subject Float<br/>and Low Subject Trapping. Indefi nite subjects (commonly quantifi ed) in<br/>presentational sentences and related clause types may either occupy the<br/>complement position within the predicate phrase or “fl oat” into various<br/>positions in the middle fi eld. This is Subject Float, yielding variation such<br/>as “There would (many farmers) then (many farmers) probably (many<br/>farmers) be (?*many farmers) elected (many farmers)”. Conversely, and<br/>unexpectedly, defi nite NP subjects of some adjectival and verbal predicates<br/>must stay in the complement position. This is Low Subject Trapping,<br/>yielding orders such as “there is cold radiator-the” and “there cooled<br/>radiator-the”. It is shown that the licensing of subject NPs in the various<br/>positions in Subject Float and in the complement position in Low Subject<br/>Trapping is unrelated to specifi c grammatical cases, thus refuting the widely<br/>adopted case approach to NP licensing. Although Icelandic case marking<br/>has been widely discussed, Subject Float and Low Subject Trapping have<br/>not previously received a detailed scrutiny; these phenomena provide<br/>additional and partly new knockout arguments against the case approach to<br/>NP licensing and NP movement. While high NP raising to subject (Spec,IP)<br/>is unaffected by case, it seems to involve both Person and Topic matching.}},
  author       = {{Sigurdsson, Halldor Armann}},
  booktitle    = {{The sign of the V : Papers in honour of Sten Vikner}},
  editor       = {{Christensen, Ken Ramshøj and Jørgensen, Henrik and Wood, Johanna L.}},
  isbn         = {{978-87-7507-461-7}},
  keywords     = {{Definiteness Effect; Subject Float; Low Subject Trapping; Icelandic}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{591--618}},
  publisher    = {{Aarhus University}},
  title        = {{Subject Float, Low Subject Trapping, and Case in Icelandic}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/74356414/Final.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.7146/aul.348.116}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}