Complementizer deletion in romance languages

• Grant number: 11/18620-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: January 01, 2012
• End date: January 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Linguistics - Linguistic Theory and Analysis
• Principal Investigator: Maria Aparecida Correa Ribeiro Torres Morais
• Grantee: André Luis Antonelli
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Within the generative framework, a question often raised is whether a CP projection is present in finite embedded clauses without an overt complementizer, a phenomenon known as Complementizer Deletion (CD). Concerning CD in Romance languages, different analyses have been proposed. For instance, Poletto (2001) argues that, in Italian, clauses manifesting CD are structures in which V-to-C movement applies. Giorgi & Pianesi (2004), however, argue that the CP category is not activated. For them, Agr can be a syncretic head, hosting both Æ-features and a mood feature. By satisfying the mood feature in Agr, the finite verb makes unnecessary the complementizer "che", which is assumed to be the element responsible for checking the mood feature in C when Agr is not a syncretic head.In view of this debate, in this project we plan to study CD not only in Italian, but also in Spanish and in Classical Portuguese (ClP). The goal is to see to what extent this phenomenon can be treated uniformly in structural terms among these languages, a topic not yet explored in the literature. Moreover, such an investigation will allow us to get a more fine-grained comparison with languages of different branches. Poletto (2001) has already shown that the same class of verbs which allow embedded clauses without che in Italian is the same which permits embedded V2 in German. As is well known, embedded V2 in German is possible only when there is no overt complementizer, a fact which could be analysed as an instance of CD similar to what is found not only in Italian, but also in Spanish and in ClP. However, it remains to be seen whether this comparison is also true for Spanish and for ClP. (AU)