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Doubling: The Semantic Driving Force Behind Functional Categories

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Logic, Language, and Computation (TbiLLC 2005)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 4363))

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Abstract

In this paper I argue that the set of formal features that can head a functional projection is not predetermined by UG but derived through L1 acquisition. I formulate a hypothesis that says that every functional category F is realised as a semantic feature [F] unless there are overt doubling effects in the L1 input with respect to F; this feature is then analysed as a formal feature [i/uF]. In the first part of the paper I provide a theoretical motivation for this hypothesis, in the second part I test this proposal with a case study, namely the cross-linguistic distribution of Negative Concord (NC). I demonstrate that in NC languages negation must be analysed as a formal feature [i/uNEG], whereas in Double Negation languages this feature remains a semantic feature [NEG] (always interpreted as a negative operator), thus paving the way for an explanation of NC in terms of syntactic agreement. In the third part I argue that the application of the hypothesis to the phenomenon of negation yields two predictions that can be tested empirically. First I demonstrate how this hypothesis predicts negative markers Neg° can be available only in NC languages; second, independent change of the syntactic status of negative markers, can invoke a change with respect to the exhibition of NC in a particular language. Both predictions are proven to be correct. I finally argue what the consequences of the proposal presented in this paper are for both the syntactic structure of the clause and second for the way parameters are associated to lexical items.

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  1. University of Amsterdam, Spuistraat 13 (lsg NTK), 1019 VB Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Hedde Zeijlstra

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  1. Hedde Zeijlstra
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Balder D. ten Cate Henk W. Zeevat

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Zeijlstra, H. (2007). Doubling: The Semantic Driving Force Behind Functional Categories. In: ten Cate, B.D., Zeevat, H.W. (eds) Logic, Language, and Computation. TbiLLC 2005. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 4363. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-75144-1_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-75144-1_19

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-75143-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-75144-1

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