Two Problems in Danish Verb Syntax

Abstract

For both of the two Danish construction han sidder og sover “he sits and sleeps” and han kom gående “he came walking (along)”, it has been suggested that the second verb is governed by the first in the same way as a main verb is governed by an auxiliary or modal verb. Specifically, this would imply that the second verb is located in the non-finite verb slot in the topological sentence pattern. It is shown that these suggestions are not justified and that the Danish verbal constructions only allow infinitives and past participles as verbal complements of another verb.