The syntax of Cimbrian, a Germanic heritage language spoken in the North-East of Italy, is at a very peculiar developmental stage: on the one hand it has lost the V2 linear restriction, but still maintains both pronominal subject inversion (Vfin-pron) and a residual word order asymmetry (main versus embedded word order pattern); on the other, it is characterized by both ‘free’ subject inversion (VP DP) and the systematic violation of the ‘that-trace’ filter, but does not allow any kind of null subject. This very specific mixture of both V2- and pro-drop properties gives us an opportunity to revisit the traditional assumption that Germanic V2 (i.e.: word order restriction due to mandatory Vfin to C movement in the root context) is incompatible with full pro-drop. On the basis of the Cimbrian data, we propose that the development of pro-drop crucially depends on the loss of V-to-Fin movement and, consequently, on the lowering of structural subject agreement within TP so that the whole complex process of feature sharing (KEEP, SHARE, DONATE) between C and I is restructured, changing from a C-dominant system to an I-dominant system.
Developing pro-drop: the case of Cimbrian / Bidese, Ermenegildo; Tomaselli, Alessandra. - STAMPA. - (2018), pp. 52-69.
Developing pro-drop: the case of Cimbrian
Bidese, Ermenegildo;
2018-01-01
Abstract
The syntax of Cimbrian, a Germanic heritage language spoken in the North-East of Italy, is at a very peculiar developmental stage: on the one hand it has lost the V2 linear restriction, but still maintains both pronominal subject inversion (Vfin-pron) and a residual word order asymmetry (main versus embedded word order pattern); on the other, it is characterized by both ‘free’ subject inversion (VP DP) and the systematic violation of the ‘that-trace’ filter, but does not allow any kind of null subject. This very specific mixture of both V2- and pro-drop properties gives us an opportunity to revisit the traditional assumption that Germanic V2 (i.e.: word order restriction due to mandatory Vfin to C movement in the root context) is incompatible with full pro-drop. On the basis of the Cimbrian data, we propose that the development of pro-drop crucially depends on the loss of V-to-Fin movement and, consequently, on the lowering of structural subject agreement within TP so that the whole complex process of feature sharing (KEEP, SHARE, DONATE) between C and I is restructured, changing from a C-dominant system to an I-dominant system.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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