The null subject parameter and correlating properties: The case of Creole languages

The existence of correlations between the positive setting of the Null SubjectParameter and other grammatical properties has recently been called intoquestion (see Newmeyer (2005)). In this paper, I show that the proref →pro-refcorrelation appears to be exceptionless and that it follows directly from the theoryof pro–drop in Rizzi (1986a). Rizzi (1982) proposes that the availability of FreeInversion is what allows for the lack of that–t effects in pro–drop languages;this, I further show, is empirically untenable. I present data from several Creolelanguages that suggest that the lack of that–t effects in these languages is relatedto the availability of null expletive pro. I take the latter to be a sufficient, but notnecessary, condition for the lack of that–t effects. I finally discuss the implicationof this finding for the parametric model.

Published online: 17 September 2008
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.132.11nic