Kinyarwanda locative applicatives and the Minimal Link Condition.
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Date
2005
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Southern African Applied Linguistics Association & The Linguistics Society of Southern Africa.
Abstract
The two objects of ditransitive locative applicatives in Kinyarwanda display asymmetrical
behaviour with respect to syntactic movement. Whereas the applied object (the goal) of a
locative can be extracted in relative clauses, become the subject of a passive and incorporate as
an object marker, the theme cannot undergo any of these operations, at least not as long as the
applied object remains in object position. However, once the applied object has been passivised,
relativised or incorporated, the theme is also free to move. We analyse these observations on the
basis of the Minimal Link Condition (MLC) (Chomsky, 1995; 2000), which excludes movement of an
element α to a position K if there is another element β of the same type which is closer to K. We
show that the theme cannot move in Kinyarwanda locative applicatives because the applied object
is closer to the potential landing site. However, in contexts in which the applied object has been
moved ‘out of the way’, the MLC no longer blocks movement of the theme. In our analysis, we
discuss a number of key theoretical concepts of the Minimalist Program, such as the Extension
Condition, the notion of minimal domain, and derivation by phase.
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 2006, 24 (1) pp. 101-124. © 2006 copyright NISC (Pty) Ltd. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies is available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rall20
Keywords
Kinyarwanda language., Kinyarwanda language--Syntax.
Citation
Zeller, J, & Ngoboka, J.P. 2006. Kinyarwanda locative applicatives and the Minimal Link Condition. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 24 (1) pp. 101-124.