Work

Predicting syntactic distribution from morphological structure: The PP syntax of converb clauses in Uralic and Turkic

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: This paper deals with converb clauses in Uralic and Turkic languages. These clauses are often defined in the typological literature as featuring a special non-finite verb type. The Uralic and Turkic data show, however, that many of the alleged converbs are in fact morphologically decomposable into a non-finite verb (nominalization, participle, etc.) and a case suffix. For these clauses, I put forward an analysis couched in a generative syntactic framework. I propose that we are dealing with a postpositional phrase (PP), in which the morphologically bound P head (the case suffix) select a non-finite clause. The PP analysis is supported by two case studies. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that this analysis makes correct predictions about the syntactic distribution of these clauses. The present proposal has thus bearing on what counts as a converb cross-linguistically.

Source: Acta Linguistica Academica

DOI: 10.1556/2062.2024.00802

Author: Ekaterina Georgieva

Institution: Hungarian Research Network

Language: English

Topic: Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation

Subfield: Language and Linguistics

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: Eesti Teaduste Akadeemia, Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, Nemzeti Kutatási Fejlesztési és Innovációs Hivatal

Award: G1183908170