Functional heads and interpretation
This thesis examines the effect that functional heads have on the interpretation of arguments. It focuses on the functional head Agr, which is implicated in predicate-argument agreement relations; the import that other functional heads have on interpretation is a subsidiary concern. The argument of the thesis goes as follows: firstly, reference must be made to both an independently projecting functional head Agr and to a level of discourse representation in order to adequately analyse the phenomenon of predicate argument agreement. This theory sheds light on an unusual complementarity between agreement and overt arguments in Celtic because it provides a natural constraint on morphological feature checking mechanisms. The thesis shows that functional heads are therefore implicated in the interpretation of arguments.
Adger, David
functional heads
Functional heads and interpretation. This thesis examines the effect that functional heads have on the interpretation of arguments. It focuses on the functional head Agr, which is implicated in predicate-argument agreement relations; the import that other functional heads have on interpretation is a subsidiary concern. The argument of the thesis goes as follows: firstly, reference must be made to both an independently projecting functional head Agr and to a level of discourse representation in order to adequately analyse the phenomenon of predicate argument agreement. This theory sheds light on an unusual complementarity between agreement and overt arguments in Celtic because it provides a natural constraint on morphological feature checking mechanisms. The thesis shows that functional heads are therefore implicated in the interpretation of arguments.
functional_head interpretation examines_effect functional_head interpretation argument focus functional_head agr implicate predicate_argument agreement relation import functional_head interpretation subsidiary concern argument follow firstly reference must_make independently project functional_head agr level discourse_representation order adequately analyse phenomenon predicate_argument agreement theory shed_light unusual complementarity agreement overt argument celtic provide natural constraint morphological feature check mechanism show functional_head therefore implicated interpretation argument