The Polysynthesis Parameter

by Mark C. Baker

Overview

This book investigates in detail the grammar of polysynthetic languages—those with very complex verbal morphology. Baker argues that polysynthesis is more than an accidental collection of morphological processes; rather, it is a systematic way of representing predicate-argument relationships that is parallel to but distinct from the system used in languages like English. Having repercussions for many areas of syntax and related aspects of morphology and semantics, this argument results in a comprehensive picture of the grammar of polysynthetic languages. Baker draws on examples from Mohawk and certain languages of the American Southwest, Mesoamerica, Australia, and Siberia.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195093070
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/04/1996
Series:	Oxford Studies in Comparative Syntax
Pages:	576
Product dimensions:	6.15(w) x 9.17(h) x 1.02(d)
Lexile:	1310L (what's this?)

Table of Contents

1.	Introduction: Of Parameters and Polysynthesis	3
1.1	Geniuses and Parameters	6
1.2	An Initial Acquaintance with Mohawk	9
1.3	Toward a Macroparameter	14
1.4	Preliminary Evidence for the MVC	19
1.5	Other Implications and Prospectus	23
1.6	On Morphological Structure and Syntactic Structure	27
	Notes	35
Part I	Nonconfigurationality
2.	The Position of NPs	41
2.1	All NPs Are Adjuncts	43
2.1.1	Disjoint Reference Effects	43
2.1.2	The Absence of NP Anaphors	49
2.1.3	The Absence of Nonreferential Quantified NPs	53
2.1.4	Interrogative Constructions	66
2.1.5	CED Effects	73
2.1.6	Weak Crossover Effects	77
2.2	Why NPs Cannot Be in Argument Position	83
	Notes	89
3.	The Licensing of NPs	96
3.1	Similarities with Clitic Left Dislocation	98
3.1.1	The Necessity of a Null Pronoun	98
3.1.2	The NP Is Adjoined	100
3.1.3	The NP Is Part of a Chain	102
3.1.4	The NP Is Not Moved	110
3.1.5	The Adjunct Licensing Condition	111
3.2	Differences: I. Possible Adjunction Sites	113
3.2.1	Left Adjunction vs. Right Adjunction	114
3.2.2	The Category of the Adjoined-to Phrase	118
3.2.3	Intonational Evidence	121
3.3	Differences: II. Features of the Adjoined NP	121
3.3.1	Number	122
3.3.2	Definiteness	125
3.3.3	Case	129
3.4	Conclusion	132
	Notes	133
4.	Discontinuous Constituents	138
4.1	The Nature of the Problem	138
4.2	Floated Quantifiers	144
4.2.1	All-type Quantifiers	144
4.2.2	A Lot-type Quantifiers	152
4.3	Operator Constructions	158
4.3.1	Split Interrogatives	158
4.3.2	Relative Clauses: Internally Headed and Otherwise	162
4.3.3	Split Demonstratives	176
4.4	Conclusion	180
	Notes	182
Part II	Word Structure and Phrase Structure
5.	Agreement and Clause Structure	189
5.1	Introduction	189
5.2	Case and the Number of Agreement Morphemes	192
5.2.1	Basic Verb Types	193
5.2.2	The Location of Agreement	198
5.2.3	Reflexive Verbs	199
5.3	Arguments Without Agreement	203
5.4.	The Form of Agreement	211
5.4.1	Lexically Determined Form	212
5.4.2	Configurationally Determined Form	217
5.4.3	Some Refinements	224
5.4.4	Agreement in Other Languages	234
5.5	Conclusion	237
	Notes	238
6.	Agreement and the Structure of NP	244
6.1.	The R Argument	244
6.1.1	Noun Prefixes in Mohawk	244
6.1.2	Noun Prefixes in Other Languages	248
6.1.3	The Absence of Determiners	252
6.2.	Other NP-Internal Arguments	257
6.2.1	The Markedness of Possessor Agreement (Nichols' Problem)	257
6.2.2	Why Possessor Agreement Is Marked	260
6.2.3	Dependent-Marked Possessors	262
6.2.4	Head-Marked Possessors	265
6.2.5	Noun Complements	271
6.3	Conclusion	273
	Notes	274
7.	Noun Incorporation	279
7.1.	The Cross-linguistic Distribution of NI	280
7.1.1	Why Some Languages Cannot Have NI	280
7.1.2	How NI Satisfies the MVC	283
7.2	The Semantics of NI	287
7.3.	The Language-Internal Distribution of NI	291
7.3.1	The Basic Generalization	291
7.3.2	Problems With the Previous Analysis	295
7.3.3	Goal Incorporation	297
7.3.4	Theme Incorporation	300
7.3.5	Agent Incorporation	303
7.4	The Syntactic Nature of NI	306
7.4.1	A Preliminary Comparison	307
7.4.2	Agreement and the Null Argument	314
7.4.3	Disjoint Reference Effects	320
7.4.4	NI and Questions	322
7.4.5	NI and Agreement in Other Languages	326
7.5	Conclusion	329
	Notes	330
8.	Complex Predicates	338
8.1	Limitations on Possessor Raising	339
8.2	Morphological Causatives	348
8.2.1	Limitations on the Mohawk Causative	348
8.2.2	The "Light" Causative Construction	352
8.2.3	Causatives in Other Languages	361
8.2.4	Conclusions	372
8.3	Control Constructions	374
8.3.1	The Mohawk Purposive	374
8.3.2	Other Languages	380
8.3.3	Distinguishing Control From LVCs	383
8.4	Adjectival Predicates and Possessor Raising	384
8.5	Conclusion	389
	Notes	391
Part III	Nonnominal Categories
9.	Adpositional Phrases	399
9.1	The Internal Structure of PPs	400
9.1.1	The Argument Structure of the P	400
9.1.2	The P-Complement Relation	405
9.1.3	The Possessor of the Complement	410
9.2	The External Distribution of PPs	414
9.2.1	The Impossibility of PP Arguments	416
9.2.2	The Licensing of Adjunct PPs	422
9.2.3	The Null Adposition	424
9.3	Applicative Constructions	426
9.3.1	Higher-Predicate Applicatives	432
9.3.2	Adpositional Applicatives	439
9.4	Conclusion	445
	Notes	446
10.	Embedded Clauses	452
10.1.	The Distribution of Argument Clauses	452
10.1.1	Clausal Subjects	454
10.1.2	Clausal Complements	458
10.1.3	Nominalization	465
10.1.4	Predicting the Patterns	469
10.2.	The Internal Structure of Clauses	471
10.2.1	The Absence of Infinitives	472
10.2.2	Alleged Examples of Infinitives	475
10.2.3	Implications for Control	484
10.3	Conclusion	491
	Notes	492
11.	Conclusion: On the Nature of Parameterization	496
11.1	Is There a Macroparameter?	496
11.2	Are There Other Macroparameters?	504
11.3	Why Are There Macroparameters?	506
11.3.1	A Biological Explanation	508
11.3.2	A Sociological Explanation	510
11.3.3	A Theological Explanation	512
	Notes	515
Appendix A.	Abbreviations	517
Appendix B.	Orthography and Pronunciation	522
Appendix C.	Sources and Methods	524
	References	527
	Index	539