On interpretive constraints and expletives : the case of the standard French 'ne' element
This thesis studies the particle ne in Standard French as it appears in the ne...pas/personne/rien and the ne...queXP structures. Based on the assumptions of a syntactic theory as developed in the Principles and Parameters, the thesis makes the following main claims: 1. Ne is an expletive. Its function is to satisfy a structural requirement on both the expression of sentence negation and association with focus. It is semantically defective, but it constrains the interpretation of the associate term it combines with (scope-marker function). 2. Some cross linguistic variations in the expression of sentence negation subsumed under a negative concord account are due to the special status of m as an expletive together with the requirement that each object must receive an independent interpretation at the interface with the Conceptual-Intentional system. 3. In the association with focus structure ne.queXP, the meaning of ne...que which is equivalent to [[only]] is not syntactically derived by combining a negative operator and an operator with the meaning of [[other than]], but built in the lexical element que. The unified account of ne in both the sentence negation and association with focus structures makes various
Cornillon, Jeanne
Syntactic theory; Cross linguistic variations
On interpretive constraints and expletives : the case of the standard French 'ne' element. This thesis studies the particle ne in Standard French as it appears in the ne...pas/personne/rien and the ne...queXP structures. Based on the assumptions of a syntactic theory as developed in the Principles and Parameters, the thesis makes the following main claims: 1. Ne is an expletive. Its function is to satisfy a structural requirement on both the expression of sentence negation and association with focus. It is semantically defective, but it constrains the interpretation of the associate term it combines with (scope-marker function). 2. Some cross linguistic variations in the expression of sentence negation subsumed under a negative concord account are due to the special status of m as an expletive together with the requirement that each object must receive an independent interpretation at the interface with the Conceptual-Intentional system. 3. In the association with focus structure ne.queXP, the meaning of ne...que which is equivalent to [[only]] is not syntactically derived by combining a negative operator and an operator with the meaning of [[other than]], but built in the lexical element que. The unified account of ne in both the sentence negation and association with focus structures makes various
interpretive constraint case standard french element study particle standard french appear pas structure based assumption syntactic theory develop principles parameters make follow main_claim function satisfy structural requirement expression sentence negation association focus semantically defective constrains interpretation associate term combine scope marker function cross_linguistic variation expression sentence negation subsume negative account due special status together requirement object must receive independent interpretation interface conceptual intentional system association focus structure mean equivalent syntactically derive combine negative operator operator mean build lexical element unified_account sentence negation association focus structure make various