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Subject doubling in Finnish: the role of deficient pronouns

Lookup NU author(s): Emeritus Professor Anders Holmberg

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Abstract

In colloquial Finnish finite clauses the subject can be doubled by a pronoun. This pronoun has number but no person, and therefore can double a 1st or 2nd person pronoun as long as number matches. The doubling pronoun is in spec(Finite)P, the ‘EPP-position’, while the doubled subject remains within the TP, when it is not moved to specCP. Finnish also has subject trebling, with a second doubling pronoun occupying specCP. Doubling of a pronominal subject is shown to follow from the partial copying theory of Barbiers & al. (2007), in conjunction with a particular analysis of the internal structure of pronouns. Cross-dialectal and cross-linguistic variation as regards doubling is ascribed, at least in part, to a lexical difference: whether or not the lexicon includes deficient pronouns.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Holmberg A, Nikanne U

Editor(s): Barbiers, S; Koeneman, O; Lekakou, M

Publication type: Book Chapter

Publication status: Published

Book Title: Microvariations in Syntactic Doubling

Year: 2008

Volume: 36

Pages: 325-349

Series Title: Syntax and Semantics

Publisher: Emerald

Place Published: Bingley

Library holdings: Search Newcastle University Library for this item

ISBN: 9781848550209

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