Speaker: Joseph Sabbagh (University of Texas Arlington)
Title: The Dynamic Existential in Tagalog
Time: Tuesday, April 7, 1:00pm – 2pm
Location: 32-D461
Abstract: This presentation discusses existential sentences based around a verbal existential predicate (magkaroon) in Tagalog. Such sentences are peculiar because, while they appear to be unaccusative, with a single DP argument projected as an internal argument (=the E(xistential) C(lause) pivot), the EC-pivot surfaces with accusative/dependent case-marked marking. The sole argument of ordinary unaccusative verbs, by contrast, are marked with subject/topic-case. Thus these dynamic existential sentences are problematic for language internal reasons as well as more broadly given proposed universals like Burzio’s Generalization. After demonstrating the the EC-pivot is indeed an internal argument of an apparently unaccusative predicate, I propose that the (verbal) existential predicate is in fact a possessive predicate that projects an external argument. This argument is overt in possessive sentences (which are formed with the same predicate), but covert in existential sentences. The hypothesized covert argument opens up an analysis of the accusative/dependent case marking of the EC-pivot assuming a Dependent Theory of Case. Precedents for such an account from Russian, Icelandic, and Greek are cited; and I conclude with some speculations about the typology of expletives and their availability (overt or covert) across languages.