Generalized Clausal Modifiers in Thai Noun Phrases. (December 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jenks, Peter
• Is Part Of: Syntax. Volume 17:Number 4(2014:Dec.)
• Page Start: 299
• Page End: 342
• Publication Date: 2014-12
• Subjects: Grammar, Comparative and general -- Syntax -- Periodicals; 415
• DOI: 10.1111/synt.12022
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1368-0005

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="synt12022-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>The Thai particle <italic>thîi</italic> introduces relative clauses and noun‐complement clauses but does not introduce clausal complements of verbs. This paper provides a unified analysis for these two noun phrase‐internal clauses as modifiers, proposing that <italic>thîi</italic> is a complementizer that is interpreted as a lambda‐operator that derives CP‐sized properties. This analysis is extended to the use of <italic>thîi</italic> in factive complements of verbs, contrastive clefts, and infinitives. Arguments are presented against the analysis of <italic>thîi</italic> by den Dikken &amp; Singhapreecha (2004) as a <italic>linker</italic>, a reflex of DP‐internal predicate inversion.</p> </abstract>