Licensing of nominal ellipsis in Hungarian possessives

Eszter Ronai,Laura Stigliano

doi:10.3765/plsa.v6i1.4994

Abstract

We argue, based on novel data, that the possessor head (Poss) can license ellipsis of its complement in Hungarian. That is, contra existing claims in the literature, possessor morphology can survive nominal ellipsis and be stranded on the remnant. Adopting Saab & Lipták (2016)’s of ellipsis licensing, we propose that there is variation in the size of the ellipsis site in Hungarian: nominal ellipsis can be licensed by either Num or Poss. We further propose that nominal ellipsis licensed by Poss can capture a previously unanalyzed variation in the Hungarian possessive pronoun paradigm. Specifically, the two variants of possessive pronouns correspond to two different structures: one is the anaphoric possessive (see Dékány 2015), while the other exists only as a consequence of nominal ellipsis, which, as we show, is a productive possibility.

Highlights

In this paper we argue that nP-Ellipsis in Hungarian can be licensed by the Num(ber) head, as claimed in previous literature, and by the possessor head (Poss)(essor) head
This is based on novel data that shows that possessor morphology can survive nominal ellipsis and be stranded on the remnant
Contra previous literature (i.e. Saab & Liptak 2016 and Kenesei et al 1998), which claimed that possessive morphology cannot be stranded on the adjectival remnant, in (7) we show that possessor morphology can survive nPE, with the stranded affixes showing up on the adjectival remnant: (7) a

Summary

Introduction

In this paper we argue that nP-Ellipsis in Hungarian can be licensed by the Num(ber) head, as claimed in previous literature, and by the Poss(essor) head This is based on novel data that shows that possessor morphology can survive nominal ellipsis and be stranded on the remnant. *a piros-ak-at jatek-ok-at the red-PL-ACC toy-PL-ACC In cases of nominal ellipsis, affixes that otherwise show up on the noun, e.g. -okat (PL-ACC) in (4), appear on the rightmost remnant of the ellipsis site (i.e. the adjective), as shown in (5): (5) a piros-ak-at ∅ the red-PL-ACC ‘the red ones (acc)’ Based on such observations, Saab & Liptak (2016) argue that nominal ellipsis in Hungarian targets the nP, the name nP-Ellipsis (or nPE).

AP piros red

Conclusion