The Syntax and Semantics of Scottish Gaelic A' Dol AL1. (1st January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schreiner, Sylvia; Carnie, Andrew
• Is Part Of: Journal of Celtic linguistics. Volume 17(2016)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 30
• Publication Date: 2016-01-01
• Subjects: Celtic languages -- Periodicals; Linguistics -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; Celtic languages; Linguistics; Great Britain; Periodicals; 491.6
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0962-1377

Abstract

We claim that the 'going to' (a' dol aL) construction in Scottish Gaelic has undergone a reanalysis from an embedding verb-of-motion construction into an aspectual particle functional head, which expresses simple prospective aspect in meaning (locating the time of the event not after speech time (like future tense), but after the time already established by tense). In so doing it fills a gap in the paradigm of aspectual particles. A' dol aL is permitted in all three tenses, but not with other aspectual particles. In these ways a' dol aL parallels the behavior of the imperfective particle a' and perfect particle air. We take these facts to indicate that a' dol aL represents a distinction in aspect rather than tense. Using a number of constituency tests, we also show that despite its surface similarity to a complex embedding structure, it actually behaves like a single particle.