Missing objects in Hebrew: Argument ellipsis, not VP ellipsis

Abstract

Hebrew is standardly cited as a language exhibiting Verb-stranding VP-ellipsis (VSVPE). Systematic reassessment of the data demonstrates that all the alleged evidence for VSVPE is consistent with Argument Ellipsis (AE); furthermore, there are ample data that are only consistent with AE, and more revealingly, data that can only be explained if VSVPE is 'un'available. Finally, the verb preceding the missing object need not match the antecedent verb, falsifying the “Verb Identity Requirement”. The conclusion that Hebrew employs AE (similarly to East Asian languages) but not VSVPE focuses attention both on the typology of AE and on the so-far hidden constraints against VSVPE derivations.

Keywords

• verb-stranding VP ellipsis
• argument ellipsis
• null objects
• Hebrew