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The Lexicon–Syntax Interface: Perspectives from South Asian languages
Edited by Pritha Chandra and Richa Srishti
[Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today 209] 2014
► pp. 197–216

Not so high

The case of causee in South Asian Languages (Hindi, Kashmiri, Punjabi & Manipuri)

| Central Institute of Indian Languages Mysore

The status of the causee argument in Hindi and other South Asian Languages has been contentious in recent literature as it takes instrumental/ablatice Case marker and hence, seems comparable to an instrumental/ablative adjunct (-se in Hindi, athi in Kashmiri, tõ: in Punjabi, and -n∂ in Manipuri). The question is whether the instrumental/ablative Case marker appearing on the causee and on an instrumental adjunct should only receive an analysis of accidental homophony or a more principled analysis between the two is possible? The paper here argues that such an analysis is certainly possible. The instrumental/ablative is an adjunct and in causatives, the causee argument is merged to the Voice head as its specifier (the position involving -se/athi/tõ:/n∂ being valued as a structural, rather than a lexical, Case). It is further argued that though, this position is υP-external, i.e. ‘high’ but not ‘high’ enough to count as the subject.

Keywords: ?P-external, Argument/Adjunct, Causative alternation, Voice
Published online: 25 March 2014
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https://doi.org/10.1075/la.209.09sri
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