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In:Cross-linguistic Investigations of Nominalization Patterns
Edited by Ileana Paul
[Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today 210] 2014
► pp. 85–118

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Assigning reference in clausal nominalizations

 | The University of British Columbia
Published online: 18 February 2014
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https://doi.org/10.1075/la.210.04bli
Nominalizations in Blackfoot can be formed of full clauses, and depending on the properties of the clause from which the nominalization is formed, the referent of the nominalization varies. In this paper I describe the patterns of reference assignment in Blackfoot nominalizations, and develop an analysis to account for the various patterns. I demonstrate that clausal nominalizations partition according to clause type: in matrix clause nominalizations the referent is a grammatical argument (subject or object), but in subordinate clauses it is not (thematic object or oblique). I propose that reference assignment in clausal nominalizations is achieved via an agreement relation with an N feature, and that the two types of nominalizations differ with respect to where this N feature is realized.
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