Studio sul sintagma genitivale coreano

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to investigate the syntactic status of Korean GenPs and the thematic hierarchy according to the linear order of arguments realised by them in the noun phrases. First, I tried to examine the argument structure and the linearity represented by the Korean GenPs after clarifying some restrictions for the optional and obligatory realisation of Korean genitive Case marker -uy and the linearity of their thematic roles. Second, after critically reviewing the previous analyses of the syntactic status of the Korean genitive Case marker -uy, I analysed it as an element that can be placed in specifier position of functional structure FP which is postulated between NP and DP. Finally, through this analysis, I tried to explain the thematic hierarchy of the Korean GenPs along with the semantic ambiguities caused by structural differences within a well-articulated syntactic structure of DP proposed by Cinque (2010).

Keywords

• Argument structure. Functional projection. Functional structure. GenP (Genitive phrase). Genitive case marker. Korean noun phrase. Noun modifier. Semantic ambiguity. Specifier analysis. Syntactic hierarchy. Thematic hierarchy