abstract: The nature of imperative syntax has remained an elusive, yet ever-present, subject in syntactic research, spanning several decades of linguistic inquiry and analysis, and it is therefore unsurprising that current views on the subject continue to be somewhat divided. This thesis examines the syntactic evidence from imperatives in Old English and ultimately seeks to develop a picture of the possibilities for imperative clauses in OE alongside an overall framework for imperative syntax within contemporary theoretical models of syntactic structure. The general, perceived pattern for OE imperative clauses (e.g. Millward 1971) is “verb−first,” and statistical data from the corpora confirm this perception, with the majority of imperative clauses exhibiting the verb in clause−initial position. Imperative constructions with post− and preverbal overt subjects are also examined at length, and postverbal subjects are found to be the majority case. These results are further expanded by examinations of data from verb−second and verb−third contexts, which include possibilities for topicalized constituents and adverbs. Ultimately, the relative position of both the verb and the subject and the relationship between these and other elements in the totality of the data provide essential clues for constructing a clearer model of OE imperative syntax. Within a relatively rich cartographic framework (Rizzi 1997), I therefore argue that the imperative verb is standardly fronted to the head of ForceP, with the overt subject remaining in spec−FinP, in parallel with other models for imperative syntax and OE syntax. Exceptions to this pattern for imperatives which suggest lower positions for the imperative verb (e.g. verb−second and verb−third constructions) are also accounted for, all with the central goal of demonstrating a consistent pattern underlying the realization of imperative syntax in Old English. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. English 2012

Adverbial constructions are a problematic subject in Tswana grammatical studies. Traditionally termed descriptives, it is not clear what the defining features of this category are. It is also a very vast category. There seems to be many different structures functioning as adverbials in Tswana, including particles, words, prepositional phrases and clauses. Tswana grammars in general often have little to say about the syntax of adverbials, in respect of, for instance, the propensity of Tswana adverbials for multiple occurrences in the same clause and the range of possible positions of Tswana adverbials in clause structure. Because of the vastness of the adverbial category we only deal with adverbials as elements of clause structure. A typical feature of adverbials is the considerable mobility they enjoy in relation to other elements in clause structure which affects their grammatical and semantic status in relation to such elements. By distinguishing different categories of adverbials, in clause structure it becomes clear that the same structural element may function within different adverbial categories. This necessitates a definition of adverbials which is based on their specific semantic functions within clause structure. The study is divided into five chapters. When dealing with the adverbial as a clause element in Tswana, we realise that it is not sufficiently described. The first two chapters therefore serve as an introduction to central theoretical issues where some relevant research is critically examined and related to the present study. In the next chapter, that is Chapter 3, we establish formal and semantic frameworks for the classification and descriptive treatment of adverbials in Tswana. In Chapter 4 we implement the structural, syntactic and semantic properties as well as the features adverbials have as modifiers to make a functional classification of adverbials in clause structure. The classification of adverbials as adjuncts, subjuncts, disjuncts and conjuncts from A Comprehensive grammar of the English language by Quirk, et al. (1985) (CGEL) is taken as the basis for this classification. Chapter 5 presents the overall conclusions and implications of the study. / African Languages / D.litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

<p>I denna uppsats studeras det ungdomliga talspråket i romanrepliker  genom stiljämförelse av dessa i tre ungdomsromaner, utgivna resp. 1911, 1967 och 2008. Syftet är att undersöka vad som är typiskt för ungdomsspråk, se i vilken mån dessa typiska drag finns i de tre romanerna, och hur detta har ändrat sig under loppet av hundra år. Det studerade materialet består av 100 repliker ur var och en av de tre romanerna, och dessa har undersökts med avseende på antal ord per replik, satsstruktur, sägeverb, slang och svordomar, "onödiga" småord, stilmarkerande ord och typografiska markeringar av prosodin. Som jämförelsematerial har använts flera olika tidigare undersökningar av ungdomsspråk, i första hand Klingberg (1970), Labov (1972) och Kotsinas (1994). Resultatet redovisas i form av tabeller över de underökta variblerna. Resultatet visar att författarna till de tre romanerna har strävat efter att efterlikna ungdomligt talspråk, i förstahand med hjälp av svordomar, slang, "onödiga" småord och enkel satsstruktur.</p>

Adverbial constructions are a problematic subject in Tswana grammatical studies. Traditionally termed descriptives, it is not clear what the defining features of this category are. It is also a very vast category. There seems to be many different structures functioning as adverbials in Tswana, including particles, words, prepositional phrases and clauses. Tswana grammars in general often have little to say about the syntax of adverbials, in respect of, for instance, the propensity of Tswana adverbials for multiple occurrences in the same clause and the range of possible positions of Tswana adverbials in clause structure. Because of the vastness of the adverbial category we only deal with adverbials as elements of clause structure. A typical feature of adverbials is the considerable mobility they enjoy in relation to other elements in clause structure which affects their grammatical and semantic status in relation to such elements. By distinguishing different categories of adverbials, in clause structure it becomes clear that the same structural element may function within different adverbial categories. This necessitates a definition of adverbials which is based on their specific semantic functions within clause structure. The study is divided into five chapters. When dealing with the adverbial as a clause element in Tswana, we realise that it is not sufficiently described. The first two chapters therefore serve as an introduction to central theoretical issues where some relevant research is critically examined and related to the present study. In the next chapter, that is Chapter 3, we establish formal and semantic frameworks for the classification and descriptive treatment of adverbials in Tswana. In Chapter 4 we implement the structural, syntactic and semantic properties as well as the features adverbials have as modifiers to make a functional classification of adverbials in clause structure. The classification of adverbials as adjuncts, subjuncts, disjuncts and conjuncts from A Comprehensive grammar of the English language by Quirk, et al. (1985) (CGEL) is taken as the basis for this classification. Chapter 5 presents the overall conclusions and implications of the study. / African Languages / D.litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

I denna uppsats studeras det ungdomliga talspråket i romanrepliker  genom stiljämförelse av dessa i tre ungdomsromaner, utgivna resp. 1911, 1967 och 2008. Syftet är att undersöka vad som är typiskt för ungdomsspråk, se i vilken mån dessa typiska drag finns i de tre romanerna, och hur detta har ändrat sig under loppet av hundra år. Det studerade materialet består av 100 repliker ur var och en av de tre romanerna, och dessa har undersökts med avseende på antal ord per replik, satsstruktur, sägeverb, slang och svordomar, "onödiga" småord, stilmarkerande ord och typografiska markeringar av prosodin. Som jämförelsematerial har använts flera olika tidigare undersökningar av ungdomsspråk, i första hand Klingberg (1970), Labov (1972) och Kotsinas (1994). Resultatet redovisas i form av tabeller över de underökta variblerna. Resultatet visar att författarna till de tre romanerna har strävat efter att efterlikna ungdomligt talspråk, i förstahand med hjälp av svordomar, slang, "onödiga" småord och enkel satsstruktur.

Cette thèse est une investigation de la structure syntaxique et de l'interprétation modale des phrases impliquant le modal dénominal de nécessité behar ‘devoir, falloir, avoir besoin’ et un complément infinitif. La thèse analyse le statut syntaxique des compléments non finis du verbe modal denominal behar en examinant leur interaction avec des phénomènes syntaxiques sensibles à des conditions structurelles et de localité diverses, et conclut que les compléments d’infinitif de behar peuvent correspondre à différentes structures sous-jacentes. Le type d'infinitif le plus complexe du point de vue structurel est un infinitif non-restructurant qui projette une architecture de phrase complète (c.-à-d. une CP), et le plus petit est un infinitif réduit de restructuration qui projette une structure de phrase de niveau vP. Il y a des preuves pour l'existence des types intermédiaires projetant jusqu'au domaine flexionnel (IP / TP). D'autre part, la thèse examine les propriétés thématiques et de portée des sujets dans chacun des différents types structurels et l'interprétation modale à laquelle elles donnent cours. Sur la base de cette analyse, la thèse soutient que l'interprétation modale n'est déterminée par aucun facteur en particulier (la présence de la restructuration, le statut référentiel du sujet et sa portée relative vis-à-vis du prédicat modal, parmi d'autres fréquemment mentionnés), mais dépend de l'effet cumulatif de plusieurs facteurs travaillant ensemble. La thèse montre également la nécessité d'adopter une vision plus fine de la modalité radicale (root modality), qui permet une association plus simple entre structures syntaxiques et significations modales. / This dissertation is an investigation of the syntactic structure and modal interpretation of clauses involving the denominal necessity predicate behar ‘need’ and an infinitival complement. On the one hand, it analyses the syntactic status of non-finite complements of denominal behar by examining their interaction with syntactic phenomena sensitive to different structural and locality conditions, and concludes that the infinitival complements of behar can correspond to different underlying structures. The largest type of infinitive is a non-restructuring infinitive that projects a full clausal architecture (i.e. a CP), and the smallest one is a reduced restructuring infinitive that projects up to vP. There is evidence for intermediate types projecting up to the inflectional domain (IP/TP). On the other hand, the dissertation examines the thematic and scope properties of the subjects in each of the different structural types and the modal interpretation that they can give rise to. On the basis of this analysis it is argued that modal interpretation is not constrained by any single factor (the presence of restructuring, the referential status of the subject and its relative scope vis-à-vis the modal predicate, among other frequently mentioned ones), but depends on the cumulative effect of several factors working together. The dissertation also shows the necessity of adopting a more fine-grained view of root modality, one that allows a simpler mapping of syntactic structures into modal meanings.