Degree Neuter Relative Constructions
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1
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
info
ISSN: 2385-4138
Year of publication: 2022
Issue Title: RLLT19, Selected papers from Going Romance Amsterdam
Volume: 8
Volume: 5
Type: Article
More publications in: Isogloss: Open Journal of Romance Linguistics
Abstract
This paper presents a syntax and semantics for Degree Neuter Relatives (DNRs) in Spanish, an unusual construction involving a relative clause seemingly headed by a gradable predicate and the neuter determiner lo. I propose an analysis of DNRs that avoids compositionality problems derived from sortal mismatches between degrees and entities. In addition, I suggest that despite the cross-linguistic rarity of DNRs, it is no coincidence that they are available in Spanish: the proposed analysis relies on aspects of the morphological inventory of Spanish that allows the language to construct degreedenoting Free Relatives headed by a definite article, and so DNRs should not be expected in languages lacking this ability.
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