A profile of the Hungarian DP : the interaction of lexicalization, agreement and linearization with the functional sequence

Abstract

The theoretical focus of my thesis is the methodology of establishing the hierarchy of functional projections. I argue that four factors influence the hierarchy: mapping to semantics, mapping to phonology, agreement, and linearization. I assume without argument that mapping to semantics follows compositional semantics, and there are no semantically inert heads in syntax. I examine what approach to the remaining three factors is most compatible with this view. I argue for a Nanosyntactic mapping to phonology, a Mirror Theoretic linearization model and the representation of agreement morphemes in the syntax but without dedicated AgrPs. The empirical basis of the thesis is the extended nominal projection in Hungarian. I aim to set up a functional sequence for the Hungarian DP in a way that does justice to both semantic and word order considerations. I identify agreement morphemes in the Hungarian nominal projection and examine how different word order algorithms can derive the surface order from the underlying hierarchy.