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In:Adjective Adverb Interfaces in Romance
Edited by Martin Hummel and Salvador Valera
[Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today 242] 2017
► pp. 47–80

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Chapter 2
Parameters in Romance adverb agreement

 | University of Cambridge
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Published online: 21 December 2017
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https://doi.org/10.1075/la.242.03led
Abstract
Many Romance varieties are known to employ adjectives in adverbial function. This paper explores the parameters involved in the distribution of agreement of adjectival manner adverbs across Romance. Agreement is shown to be sensitive to specific structural configurations which can ultimately be retraced to the phenomenon of split intransitivity: agreement is typically controlled by nominals which at some level of representation are associated with the object relation, although some exceptions to this generalization are noted producing what appear to be ergative patterns. Looking at such evidence from within and beyond Italy, the paper sketches a typology of the differing licensing conditions on adjectival adverb agreement in Romance in an attempt to identify the precise semantico-syntactic parameters involved in the relevant patterns.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction: Narrowing the field
  • 2.Parameters of adverbial agr(eement)
    • 2.1Pattern 1: No agr
    • 2.2Pattern 2: Full active/stative split
    • 2.3Pattern 3: Restricted active/stative split
    • 2.4Pattern 4: Ergative split
  • 3.Formal approach: A quick sketch
    • 3.1Parameter hierarchies
  • 4.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (62)
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