33.1790, Diss: Vurës; Linguistic Theories; Syntax: Daniel Krauße: ''Towards a Theory of Complex Predicates in Australian and Oceanic Languages''

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-33-1790. Wed May 18 2022. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 33.1790, Diss:  Vurës; Linguistic Theories; Syntax: Daniel Krauße: ''Towards a Theory of Complex Predicates in Australian and Oceanic Languages''

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Date: Wed, 18 May 2022 21:35:43
From: Daniel Krauße [krausse.daniel at gmail.com]
Subject: Towards a Theory of Complex Predicates in Australian and Oceanic Languages

 
Institution: University of Newcastle, Australia 
Program: Linguistics 
Dissertation Status: Completed 
Degree Date: 2022 

Author: Daniel Krauße

Dissertation Title: Towards a Theory of Complex Predicates in Australian and
Oceanic Languages 

Dissertation URL:  https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:38976?que

Linguistic Field(s): Linguistic Theories
                     Syntax

Subject Language(s): Vurës (msn)


Dissertation Director(s):
Catriona Malau
Bill Palmer
Mark Harvey

Dissertation Abstract:

There is general agreement in the theoretical literature that the concept of
‘complex predicate’ refers to a multi-headed monoclausal structure, which
means that at least two predicational constituents are merged to contribute to
the overall predication of the clause. Complex predicates therefore challenge
syntactic frameworks which define a clause as being headed by a single
predicate. The term ‘complex predicate’ is also used in the typological
literature to capture various syntactic constructions involving serial verbs,
coverbs, preverbs, secondary predication, and noun incorporation.

This thesis focuses on coverb constructions (CVC) and serial verb
constructions (SVC) in two unrelated languages. The selected languages are
Wagiman from northern Australia and Vurës from northern Vanuatu. Wagiman makes
extensive use of coverb-verb combinations, while Vurës has productive
verb-verb combinations. The morphosyntax of Wagiman is synthetic and typical
of a non-configurational language. Vurës is a predominantly analytic language
with a strict SVO word order. This thesis evaluates the ability and
constraints in forming complex predicates in both languages and calls into
question whether there is a motivation to establish distinct categories like
complex predicate, coverb construction, and serial verb construction, or
whether the underlying conceptual structure is fundamentally identical.

I demonstrate that ‘complex predicate’ is not simply an umbrella term to cover
various syntactic structures, but that it is a theoretical concept on the
syntax-semantics interface. Drawing on previous merger analyses for complex
predicates in combination with a VP-shell analysis from the Minimalist
Program, it will be shown how the predicational constituents of a complex
predicate merge and how this can be represented syntactically. One of these
constituents is located in ‘little v’, the other sits in ‘big V’. The v
position is filled by the (light) verb in CVCs or by the main verb (V1) in
SVCs, whereas the V position in CVCs is filled by the coverb, but in SVCs by a
verb in the V2+ position. Cross-linguistically, other potentially
predicational parts-of-speech can also occupy the V position, licensed through
the Syntactic Position Hypothesis proposed in this thesis. The constituents in
v and V undergo a merger, so that their combined argument structure and event
structure correspond to those of a single predicate. This confirms previous
analyses which state that a complex predicate is conceptualised as a single
event.

This thesis contributes to a better understanding of the theory of complex
predicates by asking the question “What is and what is not a complex
predicate?” I show that some structures which have been described as complex
predicates are better analysed as adverbial constructions because they do not
consist of two predicational constituents. A constituent in the adverbial
position acts as a modifier of the predicate. This analysis is reminiscent of
Svenonius’ (2016) categorisation of complex predicates into complementation
and adjunction, although I arrive at a different conclusion. I argue that only
v + V combinations are genuine complex predicates, whereas an adverbial
construction is an adjunction, and therefore not a complex predicate.

To test various hypotheses of complex predicates, I collected material from
previously published works and carried out fieldwork in Australia and Vanuatu.
The relevant data have been annotated in ELAN and FLEx and are available in
PARADISEC and AIATSIS.




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