Theoretical Linguistics · 1998 · 16 citations · 0 references
Language StudiesFrenchLinguisticsComparative LinguisticsMorphologySyntaxCross-linguistic SyntaxGrammarMorphosyntactic AnalysisSpanish SyntaxTense MorphologyTense SemanticsArgument Structure AnalysisAuxiliary ConstructionsLinkingPeriphrastic Tense ConstructionsPeriphrastic Verb ConstructionsTense SyntaxTense Usage
The syntax of auxiliaries, i.e. the formation of compound tenses and periphrastic passives, of Spanish, Italian and French are analyzed within the LFG framework. It is argued that with respect to lexical category, auxiliaries are not distinct from other verbs and that their distinguishing properties can be defined exclusively at the functional level: auxiliaries are not predicates and have no argument structure; they have only agreement and tense features. In order to account for the fact that the tense value of temporal auxiliaries is different from the tense of the verb phrases they are part of, a new attribute, morphological tense, is introduced. Auxiliary selection is examined, and it is argued that the choice between 'have' and 'be' is not determined by a linking mechanism. The selection between the passive auxiliaries in Italian ('be', 'come' and 'go') is analyzed as determined by heterogeneous factors, a situation which is typical of ongoing change