Bàtɔ̀nū Dative Constructions: A Problem for the Case Theory

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dc.contributor.authorSanusi, Issa O
dc.date.accessioned2018-07-02T12:19:43Z
dc.date.available2018-07-02T12:19:43Z
dc.date.issued2012
dc.description.abstractBàtɔ̀nū, a Gur (Voltaic) language, exhibits SOV word order in its basic clause structure. It is a functional noun class language. The language has ditransitive verbs and dative constructions are permissible in its syntax. However, unlike English where ‘Dative Shift’, as in ‘John gave Mary the book’ (i.e. double-object construction), is derivable from prepositional dative construction - ‘John gave the book to Mary’; Bàtɔ̀nū has no dative prepositions and dative shift is not allowed in its syntax. The problem of abstract Case-marking in double object constructions is cross-linguistic. Despite various attempts by linguists to solve the problem in the past, there remain gaps as well as unresolved issues. The problem appears more pronounced in Bàtɔ̀nū Dative Constructions. The dative NP’s in the language lack overt Case assigners and therefore fail to receive abstract Case. As a further consequence, all such constructions in the language, on the face of it, violate the Case Filter and, by implication, the Theta Criterion. In an attempt to solve the problem within the framework of Principles and Parameters (P&P) theory, this paper proposes a unified approach that merges Larson’s (1988) notions of V1-Reanalysis and Complex Predicate Raising with Baker’s (1985, 1988) notions of Abstract Noun Incorporation (ANI) and Government Transparency Corollary (GTC). In this approach, ditransitive verbs are shown to reanalyze with their direct-object NP’s to form complex predicates. Such complex predicates inherit the Caseassigning properties of their main verbs (via GTC) and thereby govern and assign the required structural accusative Case to the hitherto ungoverned and Caseless dative NP’s. This proposal appears to completely obviate the problem of adjacency between the main verbs and their dative NP’s in Bàtɔ̀nū Dative Constructions.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/769
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherGSTF International Journal of Law and Social Sciencesen_US
dc.subjectBàtɔ̀nūen_US
dc.subjectdative constructionsen_US
dc.subjectCase Filteren_US
dc.subjectTheta Criterionen_US
dc.subjectditransitive verbsen_US
dc.subjectreanalysisen_US
dc.titleBàtɔ̀nū Dative Constructions: A Problem for the Case Theoryen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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