LINGUIST List 21.2381 Fri May 28 2010 Diss: Syntax: Tubino-Blanco: 'Contrasting Causatives: A minimalist ...' Editor for this issue: Mfon Udoinyang <mfonlinguistlist.org> To post to LINGUIST, use our convenient web form at http://linguistlist.org/LL/posttolinguist.cfm. Directory         1.    Mercedes Tubino-Blanco, Contrasting Causatives: A minimalist approach Message 1: Contrasting Causatives: A minimalist approach Date: 27-May-2010 From: Mercedes Tubino-Blanco <mtubinogmail.com> Subject: Contrasting Causatives: A minimalist approach E-mail this message to a friend Institution: University of Arizona Program: Department of Linguistics Dissertation Status: Completed Degree Date: 2010 Author: Mercedes Tubino-Blanco Dissertation Title: Contrasting Causatives: A minimalist approach Linguistic Field(s): Syntax Subject Language(s): English (eng)                             Spanish (spa)                             Yaqui (yaq) Dissertation Director: Andrew Carnie Heidi B Harley Rudolph Troike Dissertation Abstract: This dissertation explores the mechanisms behind the linguistic expression of causation in English, Hiaki (Uto-Aztecan) and Spanish. Pylkkänen's (2002, 2008) analysis of causatives as dependent on the parameterization of the functional head vCAUSE is chosen as a point of departure. The studies conducted in this dissertation confirm Pylkkänen's claim that all causatives involve the presence of vCAUSE. They further confirm that variation is conditioned by both the selectional and 'Voice-bundling' properties of the causative head. I show that this pattern triggers differences across languages, although other factors are also responsible for the existence of multiple causative configurations within languages. In some languages (e.g. English), causatives require the obligatory presence of an external argument (i.e., Causer). I provide additional data supporting Pylkkänen's proposal that causation (in certain languages) may also exist in the absence of a syntactic Causer. In particular, I offer data from Hiaki indirect causatives and Spanish desiderative causatives (e.g., ¿Te hace salir? '2sg.dat (expl) makes go.out, Do you feel like going out?'), and weather/temporal constructions (e.g., Hace mucho calor '(expl) makes much heat, It's very hot') in support of this hypothesis. The results of this research, however, question Pylkkänen's claim that certain languages may allow the Root-causativization of transitives and unergatives. I show that this is not possible even in languages that exhibit Causer-less causatives (e.g., Hiaki). Moreover, certain unaccusatives (e.g., arrive) also resist (Root) causativization cross-linguistically, regardless of the 'Voice-bundling' properties inherent to the causativizing head. I claim that this happens in contexts in which unaccusative verbs exhibit 'unergative' behavior (i.e., whenever they involve syntactic elements that are base-generated in positions higher than the root). Cross-linguistic variation in the expression of causation is not always a direct consequence of the internal properties of the causative predicate. Because of language-internal requirements, different languages impose specific limitations on the syntactic realization of causative structures. For instance, English and Spanish heavily rely on Agreement relations among their constituents. The consequence of this is that it is difficult in these languages to discern what elements really are part of causation and what elements are not, as well as the nature of the elements involved in causatives (e.g., whether the dative in Spanish productive causatives is an external argument or an applicative). This dissertation addresses all these questions. Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue Page Updated: 28-May-2010       About LINGUIST    |   Contact Us       While the LINGUIST List makes every effort to ensure the linguistic relevance of sites listed on its pages, it cannot vouch for their contents.