Kai Lebeth (lebeth%neuwerk.iwbs.heidelbg.ibm.com@ibmpa.awdpa.ibm.com)
Tue, 18 Jul 1995 13:13:45 +0200
Hi, maybe I was a bit too lazy in explaining, why I still think, that in a construction like: [Ein Held zu sein] macht Spass a hero to be is fun the Dp "ein Held" is just an object in a (identity) copula-construction, and therefore receives nominative, like every other copula's object. To make this clear, assume the following subcategorization frame of the identity copula. (Maybe it is easier to assume that the identity copula is not a raising verb) HEAD: ( infin & SUBJ<[[1]-index] & PROM_ARG : [1]-index) & SC<DP[[1]-index]> As I mentioned in my first mail, I assume a very simple case-principle for German, which says that every DP with a structural-case that stands in an agreement-relation with a finite verb, gets nominative, while DPs that do not stand in an agreement-relation to a finite verb and have structural case receive accusative. The agreement-relation can be represented by putting the respective INST of the verbs argument under a feature like, e.g, PROM_ARG (most prominent argument). In the example above I assume that the copula's subject is the PROM_ARG. As the copula's semantics always coindex the index of its subject and object, the object (ein Held) is a PROM_ARG of the verb-projection, too and therefore receives nominative. In the examples below, the syntactical visible PROM_ARG-relation holds between the finite "sehen" (see) and it's subject ("ich","wir"). There is no agreement-relation between the head of the VP (the finite lassen (let)) and, e.g, the copula's object "den Vorsitzenden". Thus, these examples do not support an independent theory of case-assignment for infinitives. Ich sah ihn Vorsitzenden werden Wir sahen ihn Praesidenten bleiben Wir sahen ihn einen Mann werden The example by Klaus Netter seems to be critical for this approach. Lass mich dein Bote / ??deinen Boten sein. let me your messenger be acc nom /?? acc - Let me be your messenger - In my opinions, this is rather a very specific aci-phenomina. In addition, if one has a slightly changed construction, the accusative gets much better. ? Lass mich (acc) jeden Liebhaber (acc) sein, den Du haben wirst. Lass mich (acc) jeder Liebhaber (nom) sein, den Du haben wirst. (let me every Lover be that you have will) Let me be every lover that you will have Note, that the theory also explains case assignment in, e.g, passives. Here, a agreement-relation holds between the finite passive auxiliary "werden", and the theme-object of the participle. As the passive auxiliary is the finite verb, only this agreement-relation is expressed morphologically by nominative assignment. Der Hund (nom) wurde getreten. ( The dog was beaten) In addition, there is class of modals in German, which do not constitute such an agreement-relation at all, like , e.g. "koennen" (can) or "sollen". Here, the modal takes the agreement-relation of his verbal complement. Best Kai Lebeth
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