Complex Predicates and Information Spreading in LFG

This book is mainly concerned with the theoretical analysis and consequences of two phenomena which are found in a range of languages, namely complex predicate formation and serial verb constructions. The book concentrates on complex predicates in the Romance languages and of serial verbs in Miskitu (Nicaragua, Honduras) and Tariana (Brazil), but frequently mentions data from other languages as further support for certain proposals. The analysis is presented in terms of Lexical Functional Grammar. In particular, the authors argue that complex predicate formation motivates a parametric notion of`headship' where diierent constituents can act as the morphological, functional, or categorial head of a phrase. The example used to illustrate the idea of complex predicate formation stems from earlier work by Butt (1995) on Urdu. (1) a. Anjum Anjum ne erg Saddaf Saddaf ko acc cit t h ii letter.f(nom) lik h-ne write-inf ko acc kah-aa say-perf.m. sg`Anjum told Saddaf to write a note.' b. Anjum Anjum ne erg Saddaf Saddaf ko acc cit t h ii letter.f(nom) lik h-ne write-inf d-ii give-perf.f. sg`Anjum let Saddaf write a note.' The analysis of (1a) is unremarkable, involving a biclausal structure in which a matrix verb (kah/tell) governs an innnitival complement. Example (1b) is mono-clausal, however, and involves a complex predicate. The arguments for adopting a monoclausal analysis come from agreement, binding, and control. Finite verbs in Urdu agree in person and number with the highest ranked nominative (unmarked) np, and take the masculine, default, form if no such np is available. Whereas the nite verb in (1a) takes the default pattern, the nite verb in (1b) agrees with the nominative object which is semantically an argument of the innnitive. This agreement pattern would be hard to account for under a biclausal analysis but follows immediately given a monoclausal analysis. In LFG terms, a monoclausal structure can be obtained by assuming a predicate let-write, which is composed of the meanings of the 1