Icelandic Morphosyntax and Argument Structure [Paperback]

This book provides a detailed study of Icelandic argument structure alternations within a syntactic theory of argument structure. Building on recent theorizing within the Minimalist Program and Distributed Morphology, the author proposes that much of what is traditionally attributed to syntax should be relegated to the interfaces, and adapts the late insertion theory of morphology to semantics. The resulting system forms sound-meaning pairs by generating hierarchical structures that can be translated into morphological representations, on the one hand, and semantic representations, on the other. The syntactic primitives, however, underdetermine both morphophonology and semantics. Without appealing to special stipulations, the theory derives constraints on the external argument of causative-alternation verbs, interpretive restrictions on nominative objects, and the optionally agentive interpretation of verbs denoting self-directed motion.

Introduction.- 1.1 Aim and Scope.- 1.2 The Present System.- 1.2.1 Syntax.- 1.2.2 The Syntactic Pieces.- 1.2.3 Morphology.- 1.2.4 Semantics.- 1.2.5 Interpretation and Allosemy.- 1.2.6 What Are Argument Structure Alternations?.- 1.3 On the Data.- 1.4 A Brief Overview of Icelandic Morphosyntax.- 1.4.1 Oblique Subjects and Case Morphology.- 1.4.2 Expletive Constructions.- 1.4.3 Verb Movement and Word Order.- 1.4.4 Simplex, Complex, and Long- Distance Reflexives.- 1.4.5 Progressive Aspect.- 1.4.6 The New Impersonal Passive and Dative-Accusative Constructions.- 1.5 Outline of the Remainder of the Book.- 2. The Morphosyntax of st.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 On st Morphology: What st is and isnt.- 2.2.1 Reflexive st Verbs.- 2.2.2 st is Not (Usually) Passive.- 2.2.3 st Appears to be Caseless.- 2.2.4 st Has One or More ?-Features.- 2.3 Clitic properties of stl“+