Abstract
This paper discusses the syntax of relative clauses in European Portuguese (EP) by focussing on the status of the relativizer que in restrictive and appositive relative clauses. We propose a unified account of que in terms of a D-element and discuss the syntactic implications of this assumption for an adequate analysis of relative clauses in EP. We assume that relative que has properties of demonstrative and interrogative determiners. In restrictive object and subject relative clauses, que occurs as a transitive determiner [DP que [NP e]], which selects for a nominal complement, whereas in prepositional and appositive relative clauses, [DP que] is an intransitive determiner parallel to an e-type pronoun. We discuss the position of restrictive relative clauses in the DP containing the modified noun, and propose that they are merged pre-nominally, in the same fashion as demonstratives.
Highlights
In European Portuguese (EP), the relativizer que occurs in restrictive subject (1a), object (1b) and prepositional (2a, b) relative clauses as well as in all types of appositive relative clauses (3a, b).1(1) Cordial-Sin, Alcochete (ASCRP) a
Haegeman & Stavrou 2008; Giusti 2002), we propose that demonstratives and restrictive relative clauses compete for the same structural position
According to Kato & Nunes (2009), the reason why que cannot co-occur with the noun phrase in restrictive relative clauses is that it occurs as a transitive determiner whose complement noun has moved out of the DP
Summary
In EP, the relativizer que occurs in restrictive subject (1a), object (1b) and prepositional (2a, b) relative clauses as well as in all types of appositive relative clauses (3a, b).1(1) Cordial-Sin, Alcochete (ASCRP) a. They argue that the relativizer has to have argument-status because an argument is required inside subject and object relative clauses (a DP constituent).7 Like Kayne (2010) for Italian, Kato & Nunes (2009) point to the parallelism of que with exclamative and interrogative determiners in Brazilian Portuguese.
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