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Demonstrative Position in Michif

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2016

Nicole Rosen
Nicole Rosen*
Affiliation:
University of Toronto
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Abstract

This article consists of a generative analysis of the variable surface ordering of demonstratives in Michif, a mixed language historically derived from French and Cree, and spoken by some Métis. It is claimed that all demonstratives in Michif originate in [Spec, DemP] and raise to [Spec, DP]. Prenominal demonstratives occur when the head of the movement chain is pronounced, while postnominal demonstratives are the result of two factors: first, the pronunciation of the tail rather than the head of the demonstrative’s movement chain, and second, the noun undergoing a last resort p-movement, adjoining to DemP. The different patterning is motivated via meaning differences in the corresponding patterns, appealing to the differences in the featural makeup of demonstratives. Pragmatic information, said here to be a contrastive focus feature, is posited on some demonstratives while not on others, yielding the different ordering and also a different interpretation. The variable nature of demonstratives cross-linguistically is also discussed.

Résumé

Résumé

Cet article présente une analyse generative de l’ordre variable des démonstratifs en Michif, une langue mixte historiquement dérivée du français et du cri, parlée par certains Métis encore aujourd’hui. Il est proposé que tous les démonstratifs en Michif proviennent de [Spec, DemP] et sont déplacés [Spec, DP]. La position prénominale est le résultat de la prononciation de la tête de la chaîne de mouvement, alors que la position postnominale peut s’expliquer par deux facteurs : premièrement, la prononciation de la queue plutôt que de la tête de la chaîne de mouvement du démonstratif, et deuxièmement, le nom subissant un mouvement de dernier recours pour des raisons phonologiques, s’adjoignant DemP. L’ordre différent est motivé par des traits différents associés avec les démonstratifs, ce qui mène un sens différent entre les deux ordres possibles. De l’information pragmatique, ici un trait de focus contrastif, est présente sur certains démonstratifs, expliquant les différences dans l’ordre et dans l’interprétation. La nature variable des démonstratifs dans d’autres langues est également discutée.

Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal of Linguistics/Revue canadienne de linguistique , Volume 48 , Issue 1-2 , June 2003 , pp. 39 - 69
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Linguistic Association 2003

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