This seminar work examines the pro-drop parameter on the examples of Italian being the standard pro-drop language compared to Russian language. The emphasis is on the problem whether Russian is a null subject language or not and if it is one, is it a classical or a partial one.
The paper is organised as follows. The first section gives a brief overview of the theoretical background. The second section analysis the data, which is discussed in the following section. Finally, the conclusions are maid in the final chapter.
“Ever since the ground-breaking observations of Perlmutter (1971), the contrasts between languages that allow subjects of tensed sentences to be null [...] and those that do not [...] has been a classic problem for any serious theory of linguistic typology.“ (Jaeggli, Safir 1989). The null subject phenomena still catches more and more interest in linguistic researches owing to the observations of multiple correlations between the null subject property and other syntactic phenomena (ibid.).
Slavic languages received and still receive very little attention within the government and binding theory / universal grammar. From the perspective of the null subject parameter, Slavic languages should be very attention catching because of their diversion. Especially Russian represents an interesting case. Till this days, linguists all over the world can not decide whether ist is a null subject language or not, whether it is a partial null subject language or something different.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical background
2.1. Chomsky’s universal grammar approach and the role of the Parameters
2.2. Null subject parameter and null subject languages
3. Data analysis
3.1. The realisation of the null subject parameter in Italian
3.2. Russian with regard to null subjects
4. Discussion
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Topics
This work examines the null subject parameter (pro-drop) by comparing the characteristics of Italian, a canonical null subject language, with the distinct and controversial status of the Russian language.
- Universal Grammar and the Government and Binding Theory
- Definition and classification of the null subject parameter
- Comparative linguistic analysis of Italian and Russian syntax
- Discourse-oriented vs. sentence-oriented language parameters
- The distinction between partial and classical null subject languages
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. The realisation of the null subject parameter in Italian - canonical null subject language
“The adaptation of the structure [NP[T VP]] in languages other than English, and particulary the variability of the position of the subject in languages like Italian, has been at the heart of linguistic debates for many years[.]“ (Moro 2017: 129)
When comparing English, a Germanic language, to Italian, a Roman language, one can see that these languages differ when it comes to the null subject parameter. While Italian not only allows null subjects with definite pronominal interpretation (i.e. 4), the grammar of these language even does not allow an overt non-referential pronoun (i.e. 5). English does not allow a subject to occur in postverbal position leaving the preverbal subject position empty, while the grammar of Italian allows this (i.e. 6). It is also possible in Italian to have a deep subject in postverbal (VP-final) position (i.e. 7).
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: Outlines the research problem regarding the classification of null subject phenomena in Slavic languages compared to established linguistic theories.
2. Theoretical background: Explains the foundations of Universal Grammar, the Government and Binding Theory, and defines the criteria for the null subject parameter.
3. Data analysis: Investigates specific syntactic data in Italian and Russian to illustrate the differences in how null subjects are licensed in both languages.
4. Discussion: Synthesizes the findings to evaluate whether Russian can be classified as a classical or partial null subject language compared to the Italian standard.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes the current debate, noting the inconsistencies in existing literature and highlighting the need for further comparative research on Slavic languages.
Keywords
Null Subject Parameter, Universal Grammar, Government and Binding Theory, Pro-drop, Italian Syntax, Russian Linguistics, Linguistic Typology, Verbal Inflection, Discourse-oriented, Sentence-oriented, Partial Null Subject Language, Syntactic Variation, Language Acquisition
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the "null subject parameter" and investigates whether Russian should be classified as a null subject language by comparing it with Italian, which is considered a standard null subject language.
What are the central themes covered in the study?
Key themes include the theory of Universal Grammar, the role of verbal inflection in licensing null subjects, and the distinction between discourse-oriented and sentence-oriented language structures.
What is the primary research question?
The study primarily asks whether Russian is a null subject language, and if so, whether it qualifies as a "classical" or "partial" null subject language.
Which scientific method is applied?
The paper utilizes a comparative linguistic analysis, examining syntactic constructions and literature-based examples to evaluate language-specific properties against established theoretical frameworks.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the theoretical definitions of parameters, an analysis of Italian syntactic patterns (postverbal subjects, Wh-extraction), and a critical examination of Russian "pro-drop" occurrences in both written and spoken contexts.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Important keywords include Null Subject Parameter, Universal Grammar, Pro-drop, Italian, Russian, Linguistic Typology, and Syntactic Variation.
Is Russian considered a clear-cut null subject language like Italian?
No, the research concludes that Russian is controversial and does not fit the criteria of a classical null subject language, likely due to discourse-based rather than strict syntactic licensing.
What role does the "discourse-oriented" parameter play in the analysis of Russian?
The paper suggests that Russian is highly discourse-oriented, meaning empty categories are identified through context and the thematic "plot" rather than through strict verbal agreement as seen in Italian.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Nama Menge (Autor:in), 2019, Russian with Regard to Null Subject Parameter, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1243286
