Pattern replication and extraction from spatial PPs in Molise Slavic
This paper investigates P-stranding under A′-extraction in spatial PPs in Molise Slavic (MSL). After showing that
P-stranding bijectively correlates with dative case on the Ground argument of P, I argue that the cases of extraction at stake
instantiate grammatical convergence in the form of “pattern replication” (
Matras & Sakel
2007). A′-extraction is licensed by the presence of borrowed additional functional material valuing and interpreting
K(ase). The richer structure allows for KP to move out of the PP Phase without violating Anti-Locality. Both Italian and MSL
secondary Ps displaying P-stranding are characterized as instantiating one of two possible structural options for P-stranding. The
alternative structure is argued to be instantiated in Germanic, consistently with existing proposals (
Abels 2012). The choice between the two options, as well as the productivity of the selected option in a
given grammatical system, is a matter of (micro-)variation in the availability of functional vocabulary.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Spatial prepositions in Molise Slavic
- 2.1Language background
- 2.2The system of spatial prepositions
- 2.3The secondary class
- 3.Extraction phenomena
- 4.Extraction from PPs as pattern replication
- 5.Connecting extraction and case
- 5.1Case in spatial PPs
- 5.2Availability of extraction and case
- 5.3Accounting for P-stranding in Italian and Molise Slavic
- 6.P-Stranding and variation in functional structure
- 6.1Micro-variation in Molise and in Friuli
- 6.2Beyond MSL and Italo-Romance
- 7.Conclusion and outlook
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
-
References