Chapter 6. Same EPP, different null subject type

Abstract

It is commonly assumed that all languages with Extended Projection Principle (EPP) type X will have null subject language (NSL) type Y, and vice versa (see Holmberg 2005, inter alia). We argue that although EPP type and NSL type interact, they are not co-extensive. We demonstrate that General Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and French have different NSL types (consistent, partial, and non-NSLs, respectively), but share the same EPP type (DP EPP). We also argue that both Brazilian Portuguese and Dominican Spanish underwent a change in EPP type, followed by the loss of agreement and a change in NSL type. Crucially, EPP type and NSL type did not change simultaneously. It therefore follows that EPP and NSL type cannot be co-extensive.