COMPARATIVE SYNTAX. A generative study on pro-drop: Analogies between Modern Italian and Old High German as NS languages

Abstract

In the 1980’s the linguistic framework began to be interested by generative investigations concerning principles, i.e. the invariant component of languages, and parameters, i.e. the variation dimension among them. Since then, one of the most discussed parameters was the omission of subject in sentences, or more appropriately, the representation of subject as a null pronoun (NS). This phenomenon is the so-called pro-drop (“pronoun-dropping”). My dissertation aims at following the line of investigation of grammarians concerning the pro-drop parameter and additionally at comparing in this light the formal behaviour of two languages, which are to all appearances diachronically, syntactically and originally different: Modern Italian (MI) and Old High German (OHG). My work is structured in four chapters. Chapter one introduces the theme and the major studies related to it; chapter two is entirely focused on Italian, one of the language which is most affected by the pro-drop phenomenon; chapter three refers by contrast to Modern Standard German, a language that appears not to be interested by NS, except for some specific cases. Nevertheless, this chapter demonstrates that NS occurs frequently in several Modern German dialects and vernacular forms and especially that it had large diffusion during the former stages of the German language development, i.e. in Old High German. Lastly, chapter four surprisingly highlights formal similarities concerning the occurrence and the licensing conditions for pro in MI and OHG.