| ROA: | 440 |
|---|---|
| Title: | Surface Matters. Case Conflict in Free Relative Constructions and Case Theory |
| Authors: | Ralf Vogel |
| Comment: | to be published in the proceedings of a workshop on case theory, edited by Ellen Brandner and Heike Zinsmeister |
| Length: | 31 |
| Abstract: | This paper deals with an analysis of case conflicts in free relative (FR) constructions that I developed elsewhere. It discusses the consequences of this analysis for case theory. It argues that the notions of both `abstract case' and `morphological case' are needed to account for the phenomenon. While the system of abstract cases might be assumed to be the same universally, systems of morphological case are surely language particular. It is well-known that markedness hierarchies of case play a crucial role in the resolution of case conflicts in FRs. This paper claims that the hierarchies at issue are not (universal) hierarchies of abstract case, but language particular hierarchies of surface forms. One consequence of this finding can be that case as such may be considered as a totally language particular phenomenon. The paper further discusses some optimality theoretic accounts of the typology of case systems and sketches an alternative proposal. Last, but not least, several arguments are put forward that it is necessary to assume a GB-style 'case module' -- even for OT syntax. |
| Type: | Paper/tech report |
| Area/Keywords: | Syntax,Morphology |
| Article: | Version 1 |