The development of Hebrew zero and pronominal subject realization in the context of first and second person

• Published in: Journal of child language Vol. 51; no. 4; pp. 925 - 951
• Main Authors: DATTNER, Elitzur, RAVID, Dorit
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Cambridge University Press 01.07.2024
• Subjects: Child Development; Child Language; Cluster analysis; Grammar; Hebrew language; Language Classification; Language Usage; Linguistics; Morphemes; Morphology; Native language acquisition; Performance Factors; Person; Profiles; Pronouns; Semantics; Semitic Languages; Syntax; Tense; Verbs; Null subject; Discourse Profile Constructions; Hebrew; Pronoun; Grammatical subject
• ISSN: 0305-0009; 1469-7602; 1469-7602
• DOI: 10.1017/S030500092200068X

The study investigates the acquisition of Hebrew zero and pronominal subjects in the context of first and second person. We provide distributional evidence relative to verb tense, number, person, and conversational utterance type, in a peer-talk corpus (2;0-8;0 years). Findings show that acquisition starts early on, that verb inflectional morphology is crucial for the development of pronominal subjects, and that communicative contexts affect subject realization. Zero and pronominal subjects are not evenly distributed relative to the study variables, and cannot be treated as an alternation. A cluster analysis shows that each realization is linked to a distinguishable usage pattern, corresponding with particular discursive and communicative functions. These are defined as three Discourse Profile Constructions: (A) “calling for action” by 1st.Pl.Fut zero subjects (3;0 year olds); (B) “commenting on the interlocutor’s actions” by 2nd.Sg.Past zero subjects (ages 4;0-6;0); and (C) “planning one’s own actions” by 1st.Sg.Fut pronominal subjects (7;0-8;0 year olds).