Part of
Perspectives on Arabic Linguistics XXVII: Papers from the Annual Symposium on Arabic Linguistics, Bloomington, Indiana, 2013Edited by Stuart Davis and Usama Soltan
[Studies in Arabic Linguistics 3] 2016
► pp. 3–33
Edited by Stuart Davis and Usama Soltan
[Studies in Arabic Linguistics 3] 2016
► pp. 3–33
Locative prepositional phrases and inalienable PLACE in Lebanese Arabic*
In this paper, I investigate locative PPs in their locative meaning. Based on new empirical evidence from Lebanese Arabic, I propose that a rich constituent structure, which involves an inalienable PLACE noun in a part-whole relation with the ground DP, underlies the syntax of locative prepositions. The locative meaning of prepositions derives from the presence of this PLACE noun, which mostly remains phonologically null. I argue that Lebanese Arabic makes a formal distinction between functional and lexical prepositions, and that the observed differences between them can be attributed to the position they occupy in the rich structure of locatives. The proposed analysis is also discussed in light of recent literature on the architecture of PPs.
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