This dissertation investigates syntax and semantics of copular clauses containing two NPs.
Since Higgins (1973) four semantically distinct types of copular clauses have been recognized
in the literature, i.e. predicational, equative, specificational, and identificational
clauses. There are many proposals aiming to reduce the number of copular clause types via
collapsing certain types into others. This dissertation contributes to the debate by providing
novel evidence from Czech that identificational clauses are predicational and specificational
clauses are inverted predicational or equative clauses. Czech provides an excellent
tool to investigate copular clauses for three reasons: (i) rich phi-feature agreement, (ii) case
alternation, (iii) analytical verbal morphology. Using the three properties Czech offers, I
argue that specificational clauses are derived via scrambling of a structurally lower NP over
a structurally higher NP. Consequently, I support the inversion analysis of specificational
clauses (Moro, 1997; Den Dikken, 2006; Mikkelsen, 2006; Heycock, 2012, a.o.). I also
argue that specificational clauses may be derived from both, predicational and equative
clauses. In contrast, identificational clauses, despite their initial resemblance to specificational
clauses, are argued not to involve inversion, therefore providing empirical support
for Heller and Wolter (2008). I also present novel empirical data from Czech that show
that the interpretation of the pronoun in identificational clauses is restricted by the copular
agreement. In order to account for the restriction, I argue that both NPs in identificational clauses Agree with the copula via a Multiple-Agree chain (see Hiraiwa (2005)). / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/22032 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Bartošová, Jitka |
| Contributors | Kučerová, Ivona, Cognitive Science of Language |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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