Weiter zum Inhalt

On the Alleged Unipartite Relatives in Semitic

Na’ama Pat-El


Seiten 279 - 288

DOI https://doi.org/10.13173/zeitdeutmorggese.170.2.0279




In a recent paper, Cohen (2018) suggested that nominal sentences without overt
subjects are a regular and common part of Semitic grammar. More specifically, he
suggested that some arguments in Semitic relative clauses are gapped, namely are
missing on a regular basis. This, he argued, is especially common in relative
clauses where the predicate is a prepositional phrase. In the current paper, I
argue that relative clauses exhibit the same syntax as main clauses. I also
provide additional evidence from Syriac and Assyrian Akkadian that prepositional
phrases following a relative marker are phrasal, not clausal.

Austin

1 Aro, J. 1963: “Präpositionale Verbindungen als Bestimmungen des Nomens im Akkadischen.” In: Orientalia 32, pp. 395-406.

2 Borer, H. 1984: Parametric Syntax: case studies in Semitic and Romance languages. Dordrecht.

3 Brock, S. 1976: “Ephrem's Letter to Publius.” In: Le Muséon 89, pp. 261-305.

4 Cohen, E. 2018: “Unipartite non-verbal clauses following the construct state in Semitic.” In: Orientalia 87/2, pp. 184-206.

5 Cohen, Y./J. Llop 2017: “A Private Middle Assyrian Letter Sent by Pilta-adur to Nabbānu (with an Aphorism drawn from the World of Medicine).” In: ZA 107/1, pp. 105-110.

6 Comrie, B. 1998: “Rethinking the Typology of Relative Clauses.” In: Language Design 1, pp. 59-86.

7 Comrie, B. 2006: “Syntactic typology: just how exotic ARE European-type relative clauses?” In: R. Mairal/J. Gil (eds.): Linguistic universals. Cambridge, pp. 130-154.

8 Comrie, B./T. Kuteva 2013: “Relativization on Subjects.” In: M.S. Dryer/M. Haspelmath (eds.): The World Atlas of Language Structures Online. Leipzig (available online).

9 de Ridder, J.J. 2018: Descriptive Grammar of Middle Assyrian. Wiesbaden.

10 Deutscher, G. 2001: “The Rise and Fall of Rogue Relative Constructions.” In: Studies in Language 25/3, pp. 405-422.

11 Eid, M. 1991: “Verbless sentences in Arabic and Hebrew.” In: B. Comrie/M. Eid (eds.): Perspectives on Arabic Linguistics III. Amsterdam, pp. 31-61.

12 Goldenberg, G. 1983: “On Syriac Sentence Structure.” In: M. Sokoloff (ed.): Arameans, Aramaic and the Aramaic Literary Tradition. Ramat Gan, pp. 97-140.

13 Goldenberg, G. 1985: “On Verbal Structure and the Hebrew Verb [Hebrew].” In: Language Studies 1, pp. 295-348.

14 Gutman, A. 2018: Attributive constructions in North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic. Berlin.

15 Holmstedt, R. 2009: “So-Called ‘First-Conjunct Agreement’ in Biblical Hebrew.” In: Ch. Häberl (ed.): Afroasiatic Studies in Memory of Robert Hetzron: Proceedings of the 35th Annual Meeting of the North American Conference on Afroasiatic Linguistics (NACAL 35). Newcastle upon Tyne, pp. 105-129.

16 Joosten, J. 2012: The Verbal System of Biblical Hebrew: a new synthesis elaborated on the basis of Classical prose. Jerusalem.

17 Khan, G. 1999: A Grammar of Neo-Aramaic: the dialect of the Jews of Arbel. Leiden.

18 Kouwenberg, N.J. C. 2017: A Grammar of Old Assyrian. Leiden.

19 Mor, U. /N. Pat-El 2016: “The Development of Predicates with Prepositional Subjects in Hebrew.” In: JSS 61/2, pp. 327-346.

20 Pat-El, N. / A. Treiger 2008: “On Adnominalization of Prepositional Phrases and Adverbs in Semitic.” In: ZDMG 158, pp. 265-283.

21 Pat-El, N./A. Wilson-Wright 2018: “Features of Aramaeo-Canaanite.” In: JAOS 138, pp. 781-806.

22 Shlonsky, U. 1987: Null and Displaced Subjects. Cambridge, Mass. (PhD dissertation).

23 von Soden, W. 1995: Grundriss der akkadiseben Grammatik. Rome.

24 Wright, W. 1967: A Grammar of the Arabic Language. Cambridge.

25 Zewi, T 2012: “Prepositional Phrases as Subjects in Several Semitic Languages.” In: R. Hasselbach/N. Pat-El (eds.): Language and Nature: Papers Presented to John Huehnergard on the Occasion of His 60th Birthday. Chicago, pp. 465-476.

Empfehlen


Export Citation