Finiteness And Second Position In Long Verb Movement Languages: Breton And Slavic

Abstract

This chapter argues that Long Verb Movement (LVM) languages are characterized by (a) a PF interface condition on Tense (T) that mentions a Head-Complement configuration, and (b) a LVM process that fronts a nonfinite verb, and applies in PF to satisfy this condition. It outlines the system to satisfy the requirements of T in PF in LVM languages. The chapter contrasts LVM and V2 languages on the basis of this system. It discusses the similarities and differences between Breton and Slavic languages with LVM, and between these LVM languages and Polish, a Slavic language without the LVM process. In LVM languages the functional category T is subject to a bare output condition or PF requirement. The chapter proposes that in Slavic the functional class uses the internal domain condition to license T, while the lexical class is identical to V and uses the checking configuration. Keywords: Breton; Long Verb Movement (LVM) languages; PF interface condition; Slavic; V2 languages