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20 - Null Subjects

from Part 3 - Syntax

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2024

By
Alina Israeli
Edited by
Danko Šipka  and
Wayles Browne
Danko Šipka
Affiliation:
Arizona State University
Wayles Browne
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
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Summary

This chapter discusses null-subject clauses, those that do not have the subject in the nominative case. Viewing Slavic languages in their totality, there is a range of null subjects from grammatically obligatory to optional (the presence of the subject signifies emphasis or juxtaposition) to pragmatically motivated. If we view the pro-drop feature as a continuum, as suggested by Pešková, from pro-drop in West Slavic and South Slavic to partially pro-drop in East Slavic (more so in Ukrainian, less so in Russian), then we could correlate a construction of the type (i) Uk. Hru-ACC zakinčeno-ppl ‘Game over (finished)’ with the pro-drop languages, and a construction of the type (d) Rus.-Uk. Udarilo-pastNEU gromom-INSTR ‘Hit by lightning (thunder)’ with partially pro-drop languages. In addition, Russian has a propensity to form infinitive constructions that are absent in other languages.

Keywords

null subjectsubjectverbadverbialnegationauxiliary
Type
Chapter
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The Cambridge Handbook of Slavic Linguistics , pp. 430 - 446
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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References

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  • Null Subjects
  • Edited by Danko Šipka, Arizona State University, Wayles Browne, Cornell University, New York
  • Book: The Cambridge Handbook of Slavic Linguistics
  • Online publication: 16 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108973021.021
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  • Null Subjects
  • Edited by Danko Šipka, Arizona State University, Wayles Browne, Cornell University, New York
  • Book: The Cambridge Handbook of Slavic Linguistics
  • Online publication: 16 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108973021.021
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Null Subjects
  • Edited by Danko Šipka, Arizona State University, Wayles Browne, Cornell University, New York
  • Book: The Cambridge Handbook of Slavic Linguistics
  • Online publication: 16 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108973021.021
Available formats
×