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Nurit Melnik: Modal Predicates in Modern Hebrew
Modern Hebrew has different types of modal expressions whose syntactic
category is subject to ongoing debates. This study focuses on a subset:
predicative expressions which appear with infinitival VPs. The analysis
distinguishes between Class I predicates, which are associated with deontic
modality, and Class II predicates, which are epistemic. Moreover, it is
proposed that this semantic distinction has syntactic corollaries. Class I
predicates are amenable to a 'standard' control analysis. Class II
predicates, on the other hand, resemble raising constructions. Nevertheless,
closer scrutiny reveals a non-standard relationship between the Class II
modal predicate and the lower infinitival verbs with regards to word order
and agreement patterns, as well as evidence for a flat constituent
structure, thus motivating a complex predicate analysis.
Toc of the proceedings
Maintained by Stefan Müller
Created: October 26, 2010
Last modified: October 30, 2010
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