14
PREPOSITION REDUPLICATION
IN ICELANDIC
Jóhannes Gísli Jónsson
ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the basic properties of preposition reduplication
(P-reduplication) in Icelandic with some comparative data from the other
Germanic languages. Under Nunes’ (2001, 2004) theory of the lineariza-
tion of chain links, it can be argued that P-reduplication involves three
steps: (i) movement of a preposition to a functional head position within an
extended PP, (ii) reanalysis of the moved preposition, and (iii) the creation
of a higher copy of the preposition, either through fronting of the remnant
PP (wh-movement or topoicalization in Modern Icelandic) or leftward
movement of the preposition (Old Icelandic). Whichever option is involved
in step (iii), the highest copy of the preposition and the reanalyzed copy
are overtly realized. The proposed analysis also accounts for the fact that a
grammar allowing P-reduplication (with wh-movement or topicalization)
also allows preposition stranding but not vice versa.
Microvariation in Syntactic Doubling
Syntax and Semantics, Volume 36
Copyright © 2008 by Emerald Group Publishing Limited
All rights of reproduction in any form reserved
ISSN: 0092-4563/doi:10.1016/S0092-4563(08)36014-0
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