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Article published In: The Evolution of Expletives: Theoretical and diachronic perspectives
Edited by Eric Fuß and Benjamin L. Sluckin
[Evolutionary Linguistic Theory 6:1/2] 2024
► pp. 158–191

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On the threefold typology of Scheinsubjekte

From Karl Brugmann to Cimbrian syntax

 | University of Verona
 | University of Trento
Published online: 6 March 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/elt.00057.tom
Abstract
The first aim of our contribution is to revisit Brugmann, K. (1917). Der Ursprung des Scheinsubjekts ‘es’ in den germanischen und den romanischen Sprachen. Berichte über die Verhandlungen der Königl. Sächsischen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig [Philologisch-historische Klasse] 691. Band 5. Heft: 1–57.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar tripartition of expletive subjects from the perspective of modern parametric theory, particularly with regard to the parametric values of [±Verb Second] (henceforth V2) and [±Null Subject] (henceforth NS). Karl Brugmann was the first scholar to address the phenomenon of expletive subjects in German, which he called Scheinsubjekte (‘apparent subjects’), from a syntactic point of view, distinguishing between a positional expletive on the one hand and impersonal subjects on the other. His distinction receives important confirmation when reconducted to the basic parameter values of [+ Verb Second] and [−Null Subject] that characterise German. The second aim of our contribution is to show that Brugmann’s typology is useful not only for German, but also for languages with different parametric choices, such as English [−V2; −NS] and Italian [−V2; +NS]. Furthermore, we aim to determine whether Brugmann’s typology of expletives also holds for minority languages like Cimbrian, and for Romance varieties such as Northern Italian dialects. As we will show, Cimbrian and the Northern Italian dialects not only confirm Brugmann’s tripartition of expletive subjects, but also allow for a fine-grained distinction between expletives related to the syntax of the finite verb, that is to the parameter [±V2], which involves the C-domain, and to those related to the syntax of the subject, that is to the parameter [±NS], which involves the T-domain.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Aspects of Cimbrian syntax
    • 2.1Cimbrian as a [+V2, −NS] language
    • 2.2The typology of lexical expletives in Cimbrian
      • 2.2.1Expletives required by the negative value of the null-subject parameter [−NS]
        • 2.2.1.1The expletive ‘z-/-z
        • 2.2.1.2The expletive -da
      • 2.2.2V2 expletives (Brugmann’s syntaktisches es)
    • 2.3First summary
  • 3.The comparison with north-eastern Italian dialects
    • 3.1The typology of lexical expletives in the Trentino dialects
    • 3.2The typology of lexical expletives in the dialects spoken in Veneto
    • 3.3Second summary
  • 4.Final remarks
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
References (54)
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