Chapter published in:
Current Issues in Syntactic Cartography: A crosslinguistic perspectiveEdited by Fuzhen Si and Luigi Rizzi
[Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today 267] 2021
► pp. 111–126
Chapter 5Uncovering the left periphery of Etruscan
Some theoretical insights
Giuseppe Samo | Beijing Language and Culture University
Massimiliano Canuti | CISAP Università degli Studi di Cagliari
In this paper, we attempt to address a
Restprache like Etruscan by means of
theoretical tools. This work approaches the syntax of Etruscan and
proposes a number of descriptive generalizations on its clausal
structure. Despite the intrinsic difficulty represented by the
fragmentary data, we provide some theory-driven insights to detect
pragmatic/semantic effects based on syntax. After having presented
the theoretical insights related to word order reorderings and
syntacticization, we shall discuss qualitative data from Etruscan.
We observe that modifications of the “canonical” word order might be
related to interpretative properties. Following the criterial
approach of scope-discourse semantics, we propose that the movement
of the verb in Etruscan adjacent to the fronted XP is the strategy
to realize the activated criterial position in the left periphery.
In the last part, we also discuss attested complementizers and their
mapping within the syntactic architecture.
Keywords: left periphery, Etruscan, syntacticization, criterial approach, scope-discource semantics, complementizers
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Cartography and syntacticisation as formal tools
- 2.1Cartography and reordering
- 2.2Linguistic variability in activating criterial positions
- 3.Reorderings in Etruscan
- 3.1Some notes on the syntax of Etruscan
- 3.2“Speaking objects” and reorderings: A criterial approach
- 4.Uncovering further portions of the left periphery: Relatives and imperatives
- 5.Conclusions
-
Notes -
References
Published online: 12 October 2021
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.267.05sam
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.267.05sam
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