Abstract
Evidence from the Uto-Aztecan language Hiaki (Yaqui) shows that the internal structure of the verb phrase is tripartite, made up of (at least) VoiceP, vP and a lexical projection (√P or VP). The interaction of applicative and causative morphology, the existence of two kinds of causatives, and the interaction of passive and verbalizing morphology show that the external-argument introducing projection VoiceP (Kratzer, 1996) must be distinct from the verbalizing head vP (Marantz, 1997), as first proposed by Pylkkänen (2002) and subsequently by Cuervo (2003), Collins (2005), Alexiadou et al. (2006), Merchant (2008) and Harley (2009), among many others. This result stands in opposition to earlier proposals in which a single projection, vP, serves both to verbalize and to introduce the external argument, as in Chomsky (1995), Marantz (1997), and Harley (1995). It also challenges the conclusions of Coon and Preminger (2010), who give explicit arguments for the identity of external-argument-introducing Voice and verbalizing v.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 34-57 |
| Journal | Lingua |
| Volume | 125 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 11 Dec 2012 |
Bibliographical note
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31 Ontheotherhand,itcouldbelikethePROexternalargumentofHallman(inthisissue),whichseemstoserveexactlythesamepurposeand have the crucial characteristics needed in the relevant ways to make his proposal fit exactly with the facts here. However, it is not clear how to extend the smuggling analysis proposed there to the case of Hiaki, given the ordering of -tevo and other morphemes in the verbal complex. Note that the implicit argument of passives, while it can control into adjuncts (in English), cannot serve as an antecedent for reflexive pronouns (*A book was given to oneself/themselves), and hence is unlike the PRO subject of infinitivals. The relationship between Hallman’s PRO and Wurmbrand’s notion of semantic control, and the implications for the clausal architecture developed here, is very much worthy of future study.
32 One significant issue with this approach again involves applicatives, however. How can we ensure that the variable must be bound by the element in spec-VoiceP, even when there’s a closer potential binder occupying Spec-ApplP in an applicative? The same problem would arise for syntactic empty-category approaches to the lower argument as well, at least if the bound argument were anything like PRO, the most likely candidate for a Case-neutral, theta-receiving empty category with an impersonal interpretation when not syntactically bound.

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