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Tense Beyond the Verb: Encoding Clausal Tense/Aspect/Mood on Nominal Dependents

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Abstract

It is generally held that clausal temporal, aspectual and modal features,when encoded morphologically, are expressed by or on clausalheads. However nominals and modifiers within NP can also be inflected fortense, aspect and modal featuresinterpreted with respect to the clausal predication rather than withrespect to the nominal argument itself. Such nominals (and dependentswithin NP) therefore contribute syntactic tense, aspect and moodfeatures to the clause, but do not themselves have syntactically active TAMfeatures. Building on previous work we show how a simple account of this phenomenon can be given in the lexicalist, constraint-based theory of LFG. Inparticular, the use of inside-out function application in LFGpermits us to capture directly the role of nominal morphology indefining clausal TAM properties without recourse toderivational or feature passing mechanisms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia

    Rachel Nordlinger

  2. Louisa Sadler Department of Language and Linguistics, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, U.K

    Louisa Sadler

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  1. Rachel Nordlinger
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Nordlinger, R., Sadler, L. Tense Beyond the Verb: Encoding Clausal Tense/Aspect/Mood on Nominal Dependents. Natural Language & Linguistic Theory 22, 597–641 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:NALA.0000027720.41506.fe

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