15.2723, Diss: Syntax/Morphology: Brittain: 'The Distribution...'

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LINGUIST List: Vol-15-2723. Fri Oct 01 2004. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 15.2723, Diss: Syntax/Morphology: Brittain: 'The Distribution...'

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1)
Date: 30-Sep-2004
From: Julie Brittain < brittain at mun.ca >
Subject: The Distribution of the Conjunct Verb Form in Western Naskapi and Related Morphosyntactic Issues


	
-------------------------Message 1 ----------------------------------
Date: Fri, 01 Oct 2004 15:36:04
From: Julie Brittain < brittain at mun.ca >
Subject: The Distribution of the Conjunct Verb Form in Western Naskapi and Related Morphosyntactic Issues

Institution: Memorial University of Newfoundland
Program: Department of Linguistics
Dissertation Status: Completed
Degree Date: 20-Jun-1905

Author: Julie Brittain

Dissertation Title: The Distribution of the Conjunct Verb Form in Western
Naskapi and Related Morphosyntactic Issues

Linguistic Field(s): Language Description; Morphology; Syntax

Subject Language(s):
Naskapi (Code: NSK)

Language Family(ies):
Algonquian

Dissertation Director(s):
Philip Branigan
Marguerite Mackenzie

Dissertation Abstract:

This thesis examines the distribution of the Conjunct verb in Western Naskapi
(and in other dialcets/Algonquian languages) using a Minimalist framework.
Western Naskapi is spoken in the Northern Quebec community of
Kawawachikamach.  It is one of a number of dialects which constitute the
Central Algonquian language referred to as the Cree-Montagnais-Naskapi
(CMN) language complex.

The Conjunct is one of the two principal verb types attested in the CMN
complex. This thesis examines the syntactic environments in which the
Conjunct occurs: subordinate clauses, clauses (main and subordinate)
containing a wh-question word, negated clauses, and main clause focus
constructions.

The claim is made that wherever a CP projection is motivated in the phrase
structure, a conjunct verb is required to raise to the head of that
projection (C).  The constructions that are the focus of this thesis are
assumed to contain at least one CP projection, thus allowing the
distribution of the Conjunct to be restated in terms of CP distribution.
Two key pieces of evidence are offered to support this hypothesis: (i)
conjunct verbs undergo a morpho-phonological process which takes place at
C;  (ii) conjunct verbs occur in contexts that are cross-linguistically
associated with a CP projection. Wh-phrases raise overtly to the SpecCP of
the clause in which they are base-generated.  Thus, simple direct
wh-questions are analyzed as uni-clausal constructions.

The thesis reassesses the status of the Algonquian Person/Gender
hierarchy.  The grammatical functions and thematic roles of the arguments of
transitive verbs can be uniquely identified without appealing to the
hierarchy.  Raising constructions in both Western Naskapi and Cree are
examined. Evidence is provided to support the view that the grammar of
Algonquian makes a null expletive available.  For Case-theory reasons the
expletive is not available to raising constructions, thus allowing the
subject requirements of the raising predicate to be met by raise-NP or
raise-CP.

Equivalent data from a number of other CMN dialects (Plains Cree, Moose
Cree, Swampy Cree, Woods Cree, East Cree, and Sheshatshu Innu-aimun)
are considered in order to show that the analysis in this thesis applies to the
CMN complex in general.  Dialect differences are accounted for in terms of
microparametric variation.



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