Some silent first person plurals

Richard S. Kayne

doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199553266.003.0015

Some silent first person plurals

Richard S. Kayne

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

In order to account for morphosyntactic microvariation, an approach based on silent elements provides an alternative (one that is more tightly tied to other aspects of syntax) to an approach based on syncretism: languages are not more or less syncretic, they just happen to have a certain distribution of empty morphemes. This chapter analyses cases of 3rd person clitics in French and Italian (on, ci), which, in addition to their impersonal use, are also used as 1st person plural pronouns. It proposes that these impersonal pronouns do not convey 1st person plural, but rather a silent WE pronoun present in the syntax does. The chapter analyzes which element (WE o impersonal clitic) is responsible for a variety of syntactic phenomena.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Merging Features
Subtitle of host publication	Computation, Interpretation, and Acquisition
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Pages	276-292
ISBN (Electronic)	9780191720833
ISBN (Print)	9780199553266
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199553266.003.0015
State	Published - May 1 2009

Keywords

Ci
Impersonal constructions
On
Romance languages
Silent elements
Subject pronouns
We pronoun present

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Arts and Humanities

Access to Document

10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199553266.003.0015

Cite this

@inbook{22ee35035b48478f8c8665dd49b9c3fe,

title = "Some silent first person plurals",

abstract = "In order to account for morphosyntactic microvariation, an approach based on silent elements provides an alternative (one that is more tightly tied to other aspects of syntax) to an approach based on syncretism: languages are not more or less syncretic, they just happen to have a certain distribution of empty morphemes. This chapter analyses cases of 3rd person clitics in French and Italian (on, ci), which, in addition to their impersonal use, are also used as 1st person plural pronouns. It proposes that these impersonal pronouns do not convey 1st person plural, but rather a silent WE pronoun present in the syntax does. The chapter analyzes which element (WE o impersonal clitic) is responsible for a variety of syntactic phenomena.",

keywords = "Ci, Impersonal constructions, On, Romance languages, Silent elements, Subject pronouns, We pronoun present",

author = "Kayne, {Richard S.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2009 organization and editorial matter Jos{\'e} M. Brucart, Anna Gavarr{\'o}, and Jaume Sol{\`a} {\textcopyright} 2009 the chapters their various authors. All rights reserved.",

year = "2009",

month = may,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199553266.003.0015",

language = "English (US)",

isbn = "9780199553266",

pages = "276--292",

booktitle = "Merging Features",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

}

TY - CHAP

T1 - Some silent first person plurals

AU - Kayne, Richard S.

PY - 2009/5/1

Y1 - 2009/5/1

N2 - In order to account for morphosyntactic microvariation, an approach based on silent elements provides an alternative (one that is more tightly tied to other aspects of syntax) to an approach based on syncretism: languages are not more or less syncretic, they just happen to have a certain distribution of empty morphemes. This chapter analyses cases of 3rd person clitics in French and Italian (on, ci), which, in addition to their impersonal use, are also used as 1st person plural pronouns. It proposes that these impersonal pronouns do not convey 1st person plural, but rather a silent WE pronoun present in the syntax does. The chapter analyzes which element (WE o impersonal clitic) is responsible for a variety of syntactic phenomena.

AB - In order to account for morphosyntactic microvariation, an approach based on silent elements provides an alternative (one that is more tightly tied to other aspects of syntax) to an approach based on syncretism: languages are not more or less syncretic, they just happen to have a certain distribution of empty morphemes. This chapter analyses cases of 3rd person clitics in French and Italian (on, ci), which, in addition to their impersonal use, are also used as 1st person plural pronouns. It proposes that these impersonal pronouns do not convey 1st person plural, but rather a silent WE pronoun present in the syntax does. The chapter analyzes which element (WE o impersonal clitic) is responsible for a variety of syntactic phenomena.

KW - Ci

KW - Impersonal constructions

KW - On

KW - Romance languages

KW - Silent elements

KW - Subject pronouns

KW - We pronoun present

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84919740863&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84919740863&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199553266.003.0015

DO - 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199553266.003.0015

M3 - Chapter

AN - SCOPUS:84919740863

SN - 9780199553266

SP - 276

EP - 292

BT - Merging Features

PB - Oxford University Press

ER -

Some silent first person plurals

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this