Relative clauses, or clause-sized nominalizations? A consideration of Blackfoot
Abstract
In this paper I argue that Blackfoot (Algonquian) relative clauses are not nominalizations. I show that relative clauses are not agent nominalizations based on their morphology and the availability of non-agentive relative clauses. I show that relative clauses are not nominalized clauses based on the impossibility of possession and adjectival modification. After situating Blackfoot relative clauses in the Noun Phrase Accessibility Hierarchy (Keenan & Comrie 1977), I present a preliminary proposal that Blackfoot relative clauses are full CPs. I hypothesize that these constructions have a nominal super-structure that always contains a (possibly null) N projection, because they are always countable.
Published
2012-03-05
Section
Articles
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