Speaker: Norvin Richards (MIT)
Title: Long-distance agreement by proxy in Passamaquoddy-Wolastoqey
Time: Tuesday, April 21, 1:00pm – 2pm
Location: 32-D461
Passamaquoddy-Wolastoqey has long-distance agreement: the verb of a matrix clause can (optionally) agree with nominals in a complement clause, even if the complement clause appears to be a full-fledged tensed clause. I will argue that this long-distance agreement should be treated as an instance of what I’ve called ‘agreement by proxy’. In this case, the C of the embedded clause has Agreed with the nominals in that clause, and probes in the higher clause, although considerations of locality prevent them from agreeing with any DPs in the embedded clause directly, can agree with the features on embedded C, thereby effectively agreeing with the DPs of the embedded clause.