09/29/14
Class Notes
HW Review
Problem 4
There are (at least) two reasonable hypotheses for why (a) does not take an overt
possessive marker but (b) does. The first is that only inalienable items get this
marker (child is inalienable while house is not). The second is that only animate
items get this marker. We do not have enough data to know which hypothesis is
correct.
a. xiri-con Xijam (male name)
house-3M.SG
‘Xijam’s house’
(Wari )
b. pije' -nequem Hatem (female name)
child-POSS .3F.SG
‘Hatem’s child’
Problem 5
Whether this item is head- or dependent-marking depends on what your other
assumptions are—is this phrase a Noun Phrase or a Determiner Phrase?
DP D NP
DPD NP
NPmother G

The G boy
If analysis conflicts with coherence then the analysis probably has some flaws.
Problem 6, p.106
Since you write so well, we hope to hire you to work on the student newspaper.
“Hope” is the main verb.
“Hire” cannot be a root clause because it is not tensed.
Purpose clause (“to work on the student newspaper”) is a complement. We knew
this because this type of clause cannot be attached to “fire” as in “*We hope to fire
you to work on the student newspaper.” This tells us that the purpose clause is
closely linked to “hire.”
One test for main verb – Which verb works with tag question?
Since you write so well (subordinated adjunct clause)
we hope to hire you to work on the student newspaper (matrix clause)
to work on the student newspaper (another complement - optional)
“want” and “hope” are quite similar semantically but have different syntactic
realizations.
I want to hire you (I am the wanter)
I hope to hire you.
I want a victory.
*I hope a victory
I want him to hire you.
Him –accusative pronoun
*I hope him to hire you.
Important to compare verbs of similar semantic classes when trying to figure
out/piece apart that verb’s behavior, argument/complement structure.
Problem 5
That you could spend so much time with Kim frankly amazes me.
With Kim is a complement
That you could spend so much time is a clausal subject.
Experiencer of the object of ‘amazes’ have to be sentient.
Main verb for the subordinated subject clause is ‘spend.’
Spending carries a semantic entailment --‘spending ON SOMETHING’
I spent time reading.
*I spent time.
Compare: “waste” – the “on what?” complement is not obligatory--- “I wasted time”
I hope FOR victory (for is obligatory.)
TEST REVIEW
(1) Grammaticality- (not prescriptive description) whether the structure of the
sentence is well-formed or not.
Acceptability (pragmatically, lexically, semantically etc)
A naïve native speaker cannot tell if a string is grammatical or not.
(2) “the ball” is a syntactic complement of “throw” and “pass”
“to Ted” is syntactic complement of “pass” and “throw” (they all are optional)
The syntactic possibilities for complements of these two verbs are identical, but “to
Ted” is a semantic requirement of “pass” and not of “throw.”
Review on modifiers/adjuncts:
- they do not complete things, do not change categories
- e.g. “slowly” for a verb
- “modifier” is a semantic term, while “adjunct” is syntactic
(3) Dominance and labeling
(4)There are two other factors
-morphology (what kinds of affixes attach)
-distribution – e.g, a determiner precedes “slithy” – “The X Y” (X is slotted for Adj.)
(5) Subordinate can also be tensed, but the root clauses must be tensed
Roots cannot have complementizers, while subordinates can.
Root clauses take tag questions.
Root clauses take subject/auxiliary inversion.
(6) Head marking and dependent marking
“admires”-Head
-Head marking of the subject
Robert’s -‘s possessor’s marking
7- Remember that constituents can be moved – form a sentence like “It was the ___
that ___).
8-Ergative/absolutive – most of us were successful with this question.
9- in what ways passive/antipassive – most of us were successful with this question