Chapter published in:
Romance Languages and Linguistic Theory 2018: Selected papers from 'Going Romance' 32, Utrecht
Edited by Sergio Baauw, Frank Drijkoningen and Luisa Meroni
[Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 357] 2021
► pp. 151–170

Chapter 8
-ŋ plurals in North Lombard varieties

Differential plural marking and phases

| Università di Firenze
| Università di Firenze
| Università di Firenze
We focus on North Lombard -a and -n feminine plurals, for which we provide a morphological analysis. At the syntactic level, the relevant varieties are characterized by the phenomenon of Differential Plural Marking, whereby phasal domains have different realizations of plural morphology on the head of the phase and on the complement of the phase. We provide an account of DPM based on the assumption that under the PIC the complement of the phase and its head are externalized separately. We draw consequences concerning clitics as phasal heads as well as object agreement with participles and with finite verbs.
Keywords: number, nominal class, agreement, phase, clitic
Article outline
  • 1.Differential plural marking in Mesolcina Valley varieties
  • 2.Morphological analysis: -a as a plural
  • 3.Syntax: Externalization by phase
    • 3.1The vP and CP phases
    • 3.2Alternative accounts
  • 4.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 17 December 2021
https://doi.org/10.1075/cilt.357.08man
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