Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
936339 Lingua 2008 30 Pages PDF
Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the restriction in standard Indonesian that only subjects are allowed to undergo A’-extraction. The specific proposal, grounded in the theory of Multiple Spell-Out, is that the feature bundle inserted in v and spelled out as the active prefix meN- cannot include an EPP feature, thereby preventing objects from moving out of VP in active clauses. This paper further explores the deeper motivation for this restriction and shows that meN- is a historical remnant of an earlier antipassive marker. This allows some seemingly anomalous aspects of Indonesian syntax to be integrated into a broader analysis of ergativity and Austronesian typology.

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Social Sciences and Humanities Arts and Humanities Language and Linguistics