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Detail of contribution

Auteur: Mario SALTARELLI

Titre:
The Indexical Syntax of Demonstratives


Abstract/Résumé: Demonstratives receive independent attention in philosophy for their indexical direct reference (Kaplan 1989) and in linguistics for their syntactic status as Determiners (Abney 1986). This paper presents a unification account of the indexicality and morpho-syntax of deictics on evidence from Marsican (1). The proposal (2) claims a generalized domain for indexical morphosyntax of parallel domains: namely adverbial (vP) (Alcazar&Saltarelli 2013) and adnominal (nP). Specifically ir encodes speaker’s knowledge coordinates in the C-layer (cf. Giorgi 2010) towards a ‘CP phase’ hypothesis (Chomsky 2008, SMT) . Evidence for (2) is an Strong Minimalist Thesis account of the deixis of Marsican (1). Deictic grammaticalization in Marsican (vs. English) encodes trilateral speaker oriented deixis(for pronominal, adnominal, adverbial (incl. modals), as well as presentational types(1). Note the unique realization of Count/Mass contrast. Count Nouns Mass (Non-Count) Nouns Adverb (1) (a) quíste [ˈkwistə] cane (a’) quéste [ˈkwestə] pane ècche this (near Speaker) dog this bread here (b) quísse [ˈkwisːə] cane (b’) quésse [ˈkwessə] pane èsse that (near Hearer) dog that bread there (c) quìse [ˈkwɨsə] cane (c’) quéle [ˈkwele] pane loche that (~SH) dog that bread (yonder) On descriptive evidence (1), it will be argued for an SMT account of the parallel indexicality of adnominal and adverbial deictics is (2), as a CP function operating bijectively on nP. vP. (2) CP(nP,vP) as parallel n/v domains (a) Functional/layers of CP/context phase (b) Structural/layers of the nP,vP/content phase Speech-actα > Eventᵟ > Force> Topic [v/nP α [ v/n δ [V/NP N/V]]] It will be first argued that (2) optimally meets interface conditions under minimalist assumptions (Chomsky 2008). Secondly, like vP(VP), nP(NP), under the constant function/content phase hypothesis (2), has access to the spec of C-layer of the leftmost-periphery, where Speaker oriented temporal and spatial coordinates (as well as Force, Focus and Topic) formally reside (cf. Giorgi, 2010; Alcazar & Saltarelli 2013). 3. Selected sources. Alcazar, A & M. Saltarelli (2013, to appear). The Syntax of Imperative Clauses. CUP Chomsky; N. On Phases. In Freidlin, et al. (eds) (2008). Foundational Issues in Linguistic Theory; Kaplan, D. 1989. Demonstratives. J. Almog et al.(eds) Themes from Kaplan. OUP.