1 Icelandic let-causatives and case 1 Jim Wood 2 Abstract The verb láta ‘let/make’ in Icelandic provides a unique opportunity to understand the behavior of symmetric versus asymmetric DAT- NOM constructions. In this paper, I take a close look at láta and examine a set of cases where DAT- NOM verbs are embedded under láta, resulting in the otherwise nominative object becoming accusative in some cases and remaining nominative in others. I analyze this in terms of a phase-based dependent case theory (cf. Marantz 1991/2000, 2007), where locality domains are the primary factor determining whether dependent accusative is available. 1 Introduction Like many Germanic languages, Icelandic has a light verb like láta ‘let/make’ which takes a bare infinitive complement of the following sort. (1) Þeir they. NOM létu let mig me. ACC drekka drink lýsi. cod.liver.oil. ACC ‘They made me drink cod liver oil.’ (Thráinsson 2007:436) Most Scandinavian langauges, including Icelandic, use ‘let’ for both ‘allow’ (like English let) and ‘force’ readings (like English make; cf. Thráinsson 1979:442), and it is not entirely clear at present what conditions the choice between the two readings, but they do not seem to be completely interchangeable. The syntax of láta and láta-causatives raises a number of interesting and difficult problems. In this paper, I present an analysis of láta and láta-causatives 1 Thanks to Richard S. Kayne, Halldór Ármann Sigurðsson, Inna Livitz, Alec Marantz, Neil Myler, and Christer Platzack for discussion of material related to this paper. The data in this pa- per, unless otherwise cited, comes from Halldór Sigurðsson, to whom I am extremely grateful; a huge thanks also to Björg Jóhannsdóttir and Erla Skúladóttir for discussing many of the sentences in this paper with me. Sentences marked “snara.is” come from that website, which contains de- tailed dictionaries and usage guides, along with searchable archives of various texts, among other resources. 2 Department of Linguistics, New York University. Working Papers in Scandinavian Syntax 87 (2011), 1-52.