Predication Structures In Modern Hebrew Identity Constructions

Abstract

This Chapter presents an analysis of simple Hebrew identity sentences which I offer as a case study in the syntax of predication. Briefly, the facts are that Modern Hebrew (henceforth just ‘Hebrew’) allows assertions to be made with matrix small clauses; consisting of just a subject and a non-verbal predicate. It also allows ‘inflected small clauses’, where a pronominal copula, either personal (PronH) or impersonal (PronZ), realises Infl, and takes a non-verbal maximal projection as a complement. As far as the personal pronominal copula is concerned, it looks as if it is optional, since both inflected and non-inflected forms of the small clauses occur. However, in identity sentences, only the inflected form is possible. The point of this Chapter is to argue that the absence of uninflected identity small clauses follows from the requirement that every clause is an instance of a syntactic predication structure. I shall argue that where the post-copula XP is inherently a predicate, a predicate structure is formed whether or not Inflection is present, but that when the post-copula element is an argument and referential, Inflection is necessary to create a syntactic predication structure; furthermore, Infl is necessary to trigger the type shift which allows the identity sentence to be interpreted as a semantic predication structure.