The syntax of nominal modification and complex noun phrases in Siwkolan Amis
This work investigates the syntax of nominal modification involving the linker a in Siwkolan
Amis, one of the dialects of Amis, an Austronesian language spoken in Taiwan. Based on the two observed types of NP-ellipsis
patterns and the formal licensing condition, I argue that Amis displays two types of modification. Modifiers in direct
modification are functional heads projecting extended functional projections of NP, whereas those in indirect modification are
modifier phrases base-generated at [Spec, ModP]. This distinction adds weight to J. Wu’s
(2003) view that relative clauses and description-denoting modifiers marked by -ay are clausal
modifiers that have a full-fledged CP structure from a cartographic perspective. Furthermore, I argue that a
projects the Modifier Phrase (ModP) and is a modificatory clitic endowed with a [+mod] feature that attaches to a head
element moving from a lower head position to form a morphological word. Very much in line with Philip (2012), the proposed analysis suggests that a is endowed with an interpretative profile in
marking a modification relation between an extended functional projection (a modifier phrase) and a dependent word (a modified
noun) in the nominal domain. Issues involved in dealing with the structure of Amis complex noun phrases are discussed.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.The empirical base
- 3.Previous analyses
- 4.Proposed analysis: Two types of modification
- 4.1
a as a modificatory clitic
- 4.2The structure of modification in Amis noun phrases
- 4.3Implications for the grammaticalization of a
- 5.Conclusion
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
- List of abbreviations
-
References
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