Temporal adverbs in the kiezdeutsch left periphery: Combining late merge with deaccentuation for v3

Abstract

AbstractThis investigation of verb‐third (V3) constructions in Kiezdeutsch, consisting of a temporal adverb (TA) and a subject left of the finite verb, aims to shed light on the syntax and prosody of the West Germanic left periphery. I show that two pieces of evidence from V3‐structures support the hypothesis that this left periphery has two syntactic properties: i) a TP that is the final projection when a temporal adverb is merged late and does not induce verb raising out of TP, creating the V3‐structure, and ii) deaccentuation: the lack of pitch accent on any of the pre‐finite verb elements. This analysis requires two terminal finite verb positions in the left periphery. If we include Kiezdeutsch in the family of West Germanic languages – for which there is ample independent evidence – we must conclude, as supported also by the presence of other V3‐structures elsewhere in this family, as well as by the prosody requirements of these V3‐structures, that all members of this family have the same options in the left periphery as Kiezdeutsch. The only difference between Kiezdeutsch and the others – which also allow V3‐structures but always with at least one pitch accent – is the V3‐structure with temporal adverbs in Kiezdeutsch in which two constituents are allowed left of the finite verb, but no pitch accent. In this way a single prosodic phrase can be created consisting of the TA, pronominal subject and the finite verb.