A relative clause analysis of event existential constructions in Aklanon

This study is the first to document and analyze the ‘event existential construction’ (EEC) in Aklanon (AKL), an understudied Central Philippine language. In EECs, the apparent correlation between Philippine-type voice and nominal case appears to break down. However, I argue that the ‘case-cleaving e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inGlossa (London) Vol. 7; no. 1
Main Author Wellstood, Zachary
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Open Library of Humanities 15.07.2022
Subjects
Aklanon
control
event existentials
Philippine languages
relative clauses
Research Article
syntax
syntax
relative clauses
control
event existentials
Aklanon
Philippine languages
Online AccessGet full text
ISSN2397-1835
2397-1835
DOI10.16995/glossa.5866

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Summary:This study is the first to document and analyze the ‘event existential construction’ (EEC) in Aklanon (AKL), an understudied Central Philippine language. In EECs, the apparent correlation between Philippine-type voice and nominal case appears to break down. However, I argue that the ‘case-cleaving effect’ of EECs is superficial. I argue for an analysis wherein the existential maj selects a relative clause as its complement and allows optional possessor raising of a relative- clause-external agent, which obligatorily controls a DP-internal PRO, to topic position, producing the case-cleaving effect. This study presents a typologically unusual type of obligatory DP control and contributes to a richer understanding of cross-linguistic variation in Philippine languages, while allowing us to maintain the robust generalization that Philippine-type voice is correlated with the argument role of the topic-marked nominal.
ISSN:2397-1835
2397-1835
DOI:10.16995/glossa.5866