LING 566 HW2

CH4_P1.md

Problem 1: Valence Variations

In this problem, you will be asked to write lexical entries (including HEAD, SPR, and COMPS values). You may use NP, VP, etc. as abbreviations for the feature structures on COMPS lists.

As you do this problem, keep the following points in mind: (1) In this chapter we’ve changed COMPS to be a list-valued feature, and (2) heads select for their specifier and complements (if they have any); the elements on the SPR and COMPS lists do not simultaneously select for the head.

(Hint: For the purposes of this problem, assume that adjectives and prepositions all have empty SPR lists.)

A

Write lexical entries of the words here and there as they are used in (i).

(i) Kim put the book here/there.

(Hint: Compare (i) to (7) on page 97.)¹

B

Write a lexical entry for the adjective fond. Your lexical entry should account for the contrast between (10e,g) and (10h).

C

Assume that motion verbs like jump, move, etc. take an optional PP complement, that is, that these verbs have the following specification in their lexical entries:

    [COMPS <(PP)>]

Given that, use the following examples to write the lexical entries for the prepositions out, from, and of:

(i) Kim jumped out of the bushes. (ii) Bo jumped out from the bushes. (iii) Lee moved from under the bushes. (iv) Leslie jumped out from under the bushes. (v) Dana jumped from the bushes. (vi) Chris ran out the door. (vii)*Kim jumped out of from the bushes. (viii) Kim jumped out. (ix)*Kim jumped from.

D

Based on the following data, write the lexical entries for the words grew (in the ‘become’ sense, not the ‘cultivate’ sense), seemed, happy, and close.

(i) They seemed happy (to me). (ii) Lee seemed an excellent choice (to me). (iii)*They seemed (to me). (iv) They grew happy. (v)*They grew a monster (to me). (vi)*They grew happy to me. (vii) They grew close to me. (viii) They seemed close to me to Sandy.

(Note: APs have an internal structure analogous to that of VPs. Though no adjec- tives select NP complements (in English), there are some adjectives that select PP complements (e.g. to me), and some that do not.)

E

Using the lexical entries you wrote for part (D), draw a tree (showing the values of HEAD, SPR, and COMPS at each node, using tags as appropriate) for "They seemed close to me to Sandy."

Footnotes

1. Figure (7) on page 97: ↩

CH4_P2.md

Problem 2: Spanish NPs I

In English, gender distinctions are only shown on pronouns, and the vast majority of common nouns are [GENDER neuter] (that is, if they serve as the antecedent of a pro- noun, that pronoun will be it). The gender system in Spanish differs from English in two respects. First, gender distinctions are shown on determiners and adjectives as well as on pronouns. Second, all common nouns are assigned either masculine or feminine gen- der (there is no neuter). This problem concerns agreement in Spanish, including gender agreement.

(i)   a. La         jirafa corri´o.
         The.fem.sg giraffe ran.3sg
         ‘The giraffe ran.’
      b.*Las/El/Los jirafa corri´o.
      
(ii)  a. Las        jirafas corrieron.
         The.fem.pl giraffes ran.3pl
         ‘The giraffes ran.’
      b.*La/El/Los jirafas corrieron.
      
(iii) a. El          ping¨uino corri´o.
         The.masc.sg penguin ran.3sg
         ‘The penguin ran.’         
      b. *La/Las/Los ping¨uino corri´o.

(iv)  a. Los         ping¨uinos corrieron.
         The.masc.pl penguins ran.3pl
         ‘The penguins ran.’
      b.*La/Las/El ping¨uinos corrieron.

A

Do the Spanish nouns shown obey the SHAC? Why or why not?

B

For English, we argued that the feature GEND(ER) is only appropriate for agree- ment categories (agr-cats) that are 3sing (i.e. PER 3rd, NUM sg). Is this true for Spanish as well? Why or why not?

C

Write lexical entries for la, los, and ping¨uino.

CH4_P8.md

Problem 8: Agreement and Case Marking in Wamba

In Wambaya, a language of Northern Australia, nouns are divided into four genders: masculine (m), feminine (f), vegetable (v), and neuter (n). They are also inflected for case, such as ergative (e) and accusative (a). Consider the following Wambaya sentences, paying attention only to the agreement between the determiners and the nouns (you do not have to worry about accounting for, or understanding, the internal structure of these words or anything else in the sentence).¹

(i)   Ngankiyaga bungmanyani ngiya-ngajbi yaniyaga darranggu.
      that.f.e   woman.f.e   she-saw      that.n.a tree.n.a
      ‘That woman saw that tree.’

(ii)  Ngankiyaga bungmanyani ngiya-ngajbi mamiyaga jigama.
      that.f.e   woman.f.e   she-saw      that.v.a yam.v.a
      ‘That woman saw that yam.’

(iii) Ngankiyaga bungmanyani ngiya-ngajbi iniyaga  bungmaji.
      that.f.e   woman.f.e   she-saw      that.m.a man.m.a
      ‘That woman saw that man.’

(iv)  Ninkiyaga bungmanyini gina-ngajbi naniyaga bungmanya.
      that.m.e  man.m.e     he-saw      that.f.a woman.f.a
      ‘That man saw that woman.’

(v)   Ninkiyaga bungmanyini gina-ngajbi yaniyaga darranggu.
      that.m.e  man.m.e     he-saw      that.n.a tree.n.a
      ‘That man saw that tree.’

(vi)  Ninkiyaga bungmanyini gina-ngajbi mamiyaga jigama.
      that.m.e  man.m.e     he-saw      that.v.a yam.v.a
      ‘That man saw that yam.’

Ergative is the standard name for the case of the subject of a transitive verb in languages like Wambaya, where intransitive and transitive subjects show different morphological patterns. Nothing crucial in this problem hinges on the distinction between nominative and ergative case. Note that the agreement patterns in (i)–(vi) are the only ones possible; for example, changing mamiyaga to yaniyaga in (vi) would be ungrammatical. Note also that the verbs are selecting for the case of the subject and object NPs, so, for example, gina-ngajbi must take an ergative subject and accusative object

Footnotes

1. In fact, the Wambaya data presented here are simplified in various ways: only one of the numerous word-order patterns is illustrated and the auxiliary plus verb sequences (e.g. ngiya-ngajbi) are here presented as a single word, when in fact the auxiliary is an independent verb in ‘second’ position. We are grateful to Rachel Nordlinger, who constructed this problem, in addition to conducting the field work upon which it is based. ↩