A Functional Approach to the Accusative A

Abstract

My goal is to show that one principle based on the notion of functional noun saliency explains the distinct circumstances under which the preposition a is used obligatorily in sentences 1 and 2, optionally in 3 and 4, and optionally and rather uniquely in 5. I will proceed by describing the properties of such constructions at the lexical, sentence, and discourse levels, and will end by discussing the general principles that condition the preposition's appearance.