A study of valency in Modern Irish

Abstract

The main aim of this thesis is to characterise the factors that underpin the syntactic and semantic valency of the Irish verb in terms of a functional approach that is sensitive to aspectuality in the Aktionsarten sense of Vendler (1967). Our concern is with the relationship between the semantic representation of a verbal predicate in the context of a clause and its syntactic expression through the argument structure of the verb. One of our intentions is to demonstrate that there are semantic motivations to syntax. We will defend the hypothesis that an account of semantic and syntactic valency requires the consideration of event structure as a vital mediating component. In particular, we claim that incorporating event structure into the semantic representation provides for a unified account of causation, reflexivity, and each of the passives of Irish. In articulating our hypothesis we will expand on the role of event structure at the syntax/semantic interface over a number of constructions (causatives, reflexives, personal passive, impersonal passive) to characterise the core participants in each. We will relate how the participants in the semantic representation find expression in the argument structure of the verb in the clause in the syntax.