On the subject marker in Kinyarwanda.
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Date
2008
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Southern African Applied Linguistics Association & The Linguistics Society of Southern Africa.
Abstract
This article examines the morphosyntactic representation of the subject agreement
marker (SM) in null subject constructions in the Bantu language Kinyarwanda. Three prominent
analyses are compared. The first analysis treats the SM in null subject constructions as a pronoun
which receives the subject theta role in the morphology. The second approach analyses the SM
as a syntactic pronoun, i.e. as a determiner phrase (DP) which receives its theta role in [Spec,
V] and then moves to [Spec, T]. The third analysis is based on the theory of pro, which assumes
that the subject theta role in null subject constructions is assigned to a phonetically unrealised
pronoun. According to the pro-theory, the SM is simply a reflex of agreement between the verb and
the null subject pro. The paper shows that the first analysis, which treats the SM as a morphological
pronoun, must be rejected for Kinyarwanda on empirical grounds. In contrast, the paper argues
that both remaining alternatives represent feasible accounts. The study identifies the empirical
predictions and theoretical consequences which are associated with each of these two competing
alternatives.
Description
This is the accepted, peer-reviewed manuscript of an article whose final and definitive form has been
published in Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 2008, 26 (4) pp. 407-428. © 2008 copyright NISC (Pty) Ltd. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies is available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rall20
Keywords
Kinyarwanda language.
Citation
Zeller, J. 2008. On the subject marker in Kinyarwanda. Southern African Linguistics & Applied Language Studies 26 (4) pp. 407-428.