This dissertation explores various syntactic dependencies from relative phrases in Hindi. I show that besides Scrambling, Topicalisation and Left Dislocation, a fourth A$\sp\prime$ dependency must be recognised: Topic Dislocation. This relation is limited to referential Noun Phrases which are related to null pronominals. Since it is a non-movement relation, it is not subject to Subjacency. As a result, it may occur in construction with complex Noun Phrases. Further, I explore extraction phenomena from the correlative construction and claim that the relative phrase is not adjoined to the main clause (cf. Hale 1976, Srivastav 1991a,b); it is asymmetrically co-ordinate to it. Following Williams (in press) I claim that this is a 'double headed' construction. Using this characterisation plus the fact that left conjuncts in Hindi are transparent to extraction, I am able to account for the transparency of both clauses of the correlative construction. Further, I claim that the 'that' clause in Hindi is also asymmetrically co-ordinate to the main clause. It is not subordinate to it at all. I show that typical c-command effects do not obtain between the matrix and embedded clause. Finally I posit the existence of 'afterthought restrictors.' These are relative phrases to the right which have been assumed to be right adjoined. I assume a bar on all right adjunction, and instead claim that these phrases are linked at the Discourse level to the main clause. This proposal accounts for the fact that such phrases are completely opaque to any external syntactic dependency, e.g. Topicalisation, Topic Dislocation and Left Dislocation. Since these phrases are not syntactically connected to the main clause, elements in them may not be c-commanded by the constituents in the main clause. Without c-command, none of the above mentioned relations is licensed. My assumption that right adjunction is barred in Hindi is supported by and supports Kayne 1993, where it is proposed that right adjunction is universally disallowed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UMASS/oai:scholarworks.umass.edu:dissertations-8971 |
| Date | 01 January 1994 |
| Creators | Dwivedi, Veena Dhar |
| Publisher | ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst |
| Source Sets | University of Massachusetts, Amherst |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Source | Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest |
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