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Finiteness Matters: On finiteness-related phenomena in natural languages
Edited by Kristin Melum Eide
[Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today 231] 2016
► pp. 189–210

Non-finiteness in Saamáka

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In this paper we demonstrate that the creole language Saamáka does exhibit the finite vs. non-finite distinction by analysing the semantic characteristics and syntactic distribution of complementizer fu. We adopt a Klein style analysis of finiteness and argue that clauses embedded under this complementizer lack the features Assertion and Topic Time, and, hence, that these clauses are nonfinite. Based on this semantic analysis, we propose to split up the Fin-head and demonstrate that complementizer fu is base-generated in the higher Fin-position. As a result, we claim that our analysis calls for a richer lower C-domain than previously assumed in the literature.

Keywords: cartography, complementizers, creole languages, finiteness, syntax-semantic interface, temporal pronominals
Published online: 25 August 2016
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.231.07van
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