The goal of this thesis is to provide a syntactic analysis of the possessive constructions in
NCN, a Southern Wakashan language. This thesis adopts a broadly minimalist
perspective (Chomsky 1995) and draws on primary data from native speakers intuitions
in addition to published sources. Elicited data come mainly from speakers of the
Ahousaht dialect, which is spoken on Flores Island, British Columbia.
I discuss three types of possessive constructions:
(i) possessed DPs
(ii) possessed nominal predicates
(iii) possessor raising
The third type, possessor raising, is of special interest: A possessive marker referring to a
possessed subject DP can attach to that subject's predicate. Subject agreement on the
predicate then indexes the possessor, not the possessed subject. Unlike in other types of
possession, the possessor and its possessum do not form a single constituent. In contrast
to parallel structures cross-linguistically, Nuu-chah-nulth possessor raising can occur
only from possessed subjects, but it is otherwise unrestricted by possessor or predicate
type.
I propose for Nuu-chah-nulth that the possessive morpheme corresponds to a
possessive head in the functional architecture of either the DP or clausal domain. Both
the Possessive Phrase and a possessor DP are associated with a possessive feature. Where
the possessive marker is generated above a possessed subject DP, the possessor must
raise out of it in order to check this feature.
I furthermore adopt the theory of multiple feature checking (Ura 1996), such that
the possessor DP may be associated with both a possessive and a set of agreement (<J>)
features. This allows the possessor to raise further, and check its agreement features with
the head that hosts subject inflection. By occupying this higher position the possessor
determines inflection structurally, without being directly linked to the external argument
of the predicate.
This analysis suggests that the notion of "subject" is split between at least two
syntactic positions. Evidence illustrating clear subject-object asymmetries as well as data
suggesting A-movement of the possessor supports a configurational, rather than
discourse-driven, view of Nuu-chah-nulth grammar. / Arts, Faculty of / Linguistics, Department of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/17013 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Ravinski, Christine |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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