Optional marking of arguments

The marking of arguments can be either mandatory or optional. In the former case, the marking occurs mandatorily, while in the latter case the marking can be dropped in favourable conditions. The present paper is concerned with cases, in which the marking of arguments can be regarded as optional. This comprises cases in which a variation between zero and overt marking of arguments is possible, but in which the reading of clauses is not affected in any salient way. The paper is focussed on examining the semantic-functional motivation of optional argument marking (economy plays a major role here), but also some formally distinct types will be discussed. The goal is to gain new insights into argument marking in general.