k 2022

Default Case in English

CAHA, Pavel

Basic information

Original name

Default Case in English

Authors

CAHA, Pavel (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

SinFonIJA 15, University of Udine, 22.-24. 9. 2022, 2022

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Prezentace na konferencích

Field of Study

60203 Linguistics

Country of publisher

Italy

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14210/22:00129172

Organization unit

Faculty of Arts

Keywords in English

agreement; case; English; pronouns

Tags

Tags

International impact
Změněno: 31/1/2023 11:34, doc. Mgr. Markéta Ziková, Ph.D.

Abstract

V originále

Schütze (2001) argues for two claims. First, that Universal Grammar makes use of the so-called Default Case, which refers to “case forms used to spell out nominals that do not receive a case specification by assignment or other syntactic means” (Schütze 2001:205). The second claim is that “ACC is the default case in English” (Schütze 2001:210). This talk challenges the second claim by pointing out that all environments with Default Case (as argued by Schütze) are simultaneously environments which require the so-called strong pronouns. Building on this observation, this article suggests that the Default-Case forms in English are nominative forms of strong pronouns, which have been mistaken for accusative pronouns because they happen to be syncretic with them (i.e., morphologically identical to them). This reinterpretation allows for a more restrictive theory of Default Case, and it has implications for the specific constructions where Default Case has been argued to be needed.

Links

GC21-12611J, research and development project
Name: Morfologie shody (Acronym: AgroMorph)
Investor: Czech Science Foundation, Russia/RFBR