Article published in:
Argument Realisation in Complex Predicates and Complex Events: Verb-verb constructions at the syntax-semantic interfaceEdited by Brian Nolan and Elke Diedrichsen
[Studies in Language Companion Series 180] 2017
► pp. 117–136
Non-conventional arguments
Finite and non-finite verbal complementation in Sicilian
Alessio S. Frenda | Computational and Functional Linguistics Research Group, Institute of Technology Blanchardstown Dublin, Ireland
In the Romance context, Sicilian rather unusually allows finite verbs to be governed by a preposition within a subordinate phrasal constituent expressing purpose. In other Romance languages, the verb slotted in this context is normally an infinitive. Sicilian also has the corresponding infinitive construction, and the distribution of these two functionally equivalent structures in a corpus of Sicilian folk tales is analysed, revealing overall conciseness conditions restricting the occurrence of the finite-verb construction. The two structures are then analysed from a semantic and syntactic point of view, employing the formalism of Role and Reference Grammar, in order to understand what distinguishes them in terms of event structure and its expression via core complementation vs. adjunction.
Keywords: Sicilian, Romance, subordination, coordination, event structure, RRG, SVC
Published online: 26 January 2017
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.180.04fre
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.180.04fre
References
References
Aikhenvald, Alexandra Y.
Amberber, Mengistu, Baker, Brett & Harvey, Mark
Baker, Brett & Harvey, Mark
Bohnemeyer, Jürgen, Enfield, Nicholas J., Essegbey, James, Ibarretxe-Antuñano, Iraide, Kita, Sotaro, Lüpke, Frederike, & Ameka, Fekix K.
Comrie, B.
Foley, William A.
Givón, Talmy
Jarkey, Nerida
Lewis, Charlton T. & Short, Charles
1879 A Latin Dictionary. Founded on Andrews’ edition of Freund’s Latin dictionary. Revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten by Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and. Charles Short, LL.D. Oxford: Clarendon Press. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/search
Pitrè, Giuseppe
1875 Fiabe, novelle e racconti popolari siciliani. Palermo: Luigi Pedone Lauriel. https://archive.org/details/fiabenovelleera02pitrgoog
Silverstein, Michael
Van Valin Jr., Robert D.
2007 Recent developments in the Role and Reference Grammar theory of clause linkage. Language and Linguistics 8(1): 71–93. http://www.ling.sinica.edu.tw/files/publication/j2007\_1\_03\_6703.pdf