11: Arguments From The Root Vs. Arguments From The Syntax

Abstract

This chapter probes interaction of syntax and argument structure by investigating (i) changes in argument structure under nominalization and (ii) the complexity of the argument structure of roots in Malagasy. The argument structure of different verbal constructions behave differently when they are nominalized, and the range of argument structures of roots is as complex as the argument structure of morphologically complex verbs. The morphology of Malagasy is quite overt in realizing both argument structure and event structure. Certain morphemes (an- and i-), when creating minimal pairs of lexical items, determine whether or not an external argument will be licensed. Other morphemes determine whether or not a predicate is telic (-ina (Theme Topic) vs. voa-). Investigating some of the details of the root projection, suggested that Instruments are inner external arguments that become prepositional phrases through a lower passive construction. Keywords: argument structure; Malagasy; morphemes