Participial Relatives in LFG

Andrew Spencer

Abstract

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Proceedings of LFG15; CSLI Publications On-line

I propose an analysis of the attributive participle (verb-to-adjective, V2A, transposition) functioning as a participial relative clause, PTCP-RC. I adopt Spencer's (2013) analysis of transpositions: the argument structure representation of a verb has an event 'EV' semantic function (SF) role, an adjective has a modifier 'A-MOD' SF role and a participle has a composite <A-MOD< EV>> SF role. The composite SF role licences both verb and adjective morphosyntax through a projection function which maps a-structure representations to c-structure and f-structure. Specifically, the A-MOD SF role licences adjective-noun concord. I illustrate this with Lithuanian, whose participles have the full array of adjectival properties, including definiteness marking. I offer brief speculation on how the analysis might be extended to languages whose PTCP-RCs can be formed on non-subject GFs.



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