The Syntax of Clausal Prefixes in Tigrinya

Diplôme Thèse The Syntax of Clausal Prefixes in Tigrinya eng 2026-01-22 2026-01-22 author Cacchioli Gioia 0000-0002-1387-8942 806519 moyens communs de linguistique (LINCO) director Shlonsky Ur 0000-0002-7147-4794 28090 moyens communs de linguistique (LINCO) director Haeberli Eric 29042 moyens communs de linguistique (LINCO) 295 10.13097/archive-ouverte/unige:191615 urn:nbn:ch:unige-1916150 L. 1200 This dissertation investigates the syntax of clausal prefixes in Tigrinya, an Ethio-Semitic language which, despite its head-finality, exhibits clause-initial complementizers that attach as prefixes to embedded verbs (clausal prefixes). It challenges the view that prefixes in head-final languages have an intrinsic morphological property, proposing instead that their surface position results from specific syntactic constraints. Four main clausal prefixes are analyzed. Z(ɨ)-, found in relative clauses, noun clausal complements, and comparative clauses, is argued to be a reflex of successive-cyclic A'-movement triggered by Spec-Head agreement in a phasal aspectual projection. Kɛmz(ɨ)-, a bimorphemic element consisting of a preposition plus z(ɨ)-, introduces complement clauses that are argued to be underlying relative clauses involving the A'-movement of a null nominal. K(ɨ)-, a subjunctive marker, is claimed to occur in reduced clauses whose temporal interpretation depends on the matrix clause and to appear either as a low MoodP head or as a reflex of temporal operator movement. ʔaj-...-(ɨ)n, the circumfix used to mark sentential negation, reflects split negation, with the prefix merged in low NegP and the suﬃx in high PolP. These findings support a more local view of A'-movement than standard phase theory and point to a refined notion of cyclicity, oﬀering a novel perspective on the syntax of prefixes in head-final languages. Tigrinya Ethio-semitic Syntax Morphology Prefixes Complementizers Dewey 410 82 Département de linguistique 39 false 0f0c5ee0-deaa-4250-b000-55f4ab14ed4a Thesis Public SyntaxClausalPrefixesTigrinya.pdf 5987486 application/pdf 5811d19f9b8d112eef8bd539692f2756fe6acd2488d9382365e71e94066751d6 935d1090-d38f-43c5-80fd-7655d0e1e144 Imprimatur Public Imprimatur.pdf 65979 application/pdf 16922d39ef7416e0a2b494435593c61995962692a1686fdba7097e3da6662a9c openAccess Faculté des lettres / Département de linguistique

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The Syntax of Clausal Prefixes in Tigrinya				2026	87	99

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