LINGUIST List 11.1048

Wed May 10 2000

Books: Generative Arabic Syntax

Editor for this issue: Scott Fults <scottlinguistlist.org>

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Links to the websites of all LINGUIST's supporting publishers are available at the end of this issue.

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Directory

Paul Peranteau, Generative Arabic Syntax - M. A. Mohammad

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Message 1: Generative Arabic Syntax - M. A. Mohammad

Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 10:21:15 -0400
From: Paul Peranteau <paulbenjamins.com>
Subject: Generative Arabic Syntax - M. A. Mohammad


John Benjamins Publishing announces a new work in Arabic Syntax using Generative Grammar, specifically Minimalism, for the analysis.

Word Order, Agreement and Pronominalization in Standard and Palestinian Arabic. Mohammad A. MOHAMMAD (University of Florida) Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 181 US & Canada: 1 55619 958 9 / USD 69.00 (Hardcover) Rest of world: 90 272 3687 9 / NLG 138.00 (Hardcover)

The two related issues of word order, and subject-verb agreement have occupied center stage in the study of Arabic syntax since the time of Sibawayhi in the eighth century. This book is a contribution to both of these areas. It is grounded within the generative grammar framework in one of its most recent versions, namely Minimalism, as expounded in Chomsky (1995).

In this volume, a detailed description is given of word order options in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and Palestinian Arabic (PA). It is shown that, perhaps surprisingly, the two varieties allow almost the same range of word orders.

The important question of whether Arabic has a VP is addressed: the author argues extensively that Arabic has a VP category. The evidence derives from examining superiority effects, ECP effects, binding, variable interpretations, etc.

Also discussed is the content of [Spec, TP] in VSO sentences. It is argued that the position is occupied by an expletive pronoun. The author defends the Expletive Hypothesis which states that in VSO sentences the expletive may take part in checking some features of the verb. A typology of the expletive pronoun in Modern Standard Arabic, Palestinian Arabic, Lebanese Arabic, and Moroccan Arabic is provided.

A particularly interesting problem involving pronominal co-reference is the following: if the subject is the antecedent of a pronominal clitic, word order is free; if a pronominal is cliticized onto the subject, then the antecedent must precede. An account that derives these restrictions without recourse to linear order is proposed.

John Benjamins Publishing Co. Offices: Philadelphia Amsterdam: Websites: http://www.benjamins.com http://www.benjamins.nl E-mail: servicebenjamins.com customer.servicesbenjamins.nl Phone: +215 836-1200 +31 20 6762325 Fax: +215 836-1204 +31 20 6739773

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