Jóhanna Barðdal, Professor of Linguistics at Ghent University and current fellow, will hold a seminar about her research on non-nominative subjects in Latin and Ancient Greek.
How plausible is it that objects in the early Indo-European languages have gradually changed into non-nominative subjects in the modern languages, as is assumed on the standard story of the existence of non-nominative subjects in the modern languages? Given the complexity of the subject concept and the host of syntactic properties associated with it, can such a process at all be found in language without involving an unlikely 180-degree change in argument structure?
About NIAS Seminars
NIAS Seminars are aimed to stimulate scientific cross-pollination within the NIAS academic community and discuss work-in-progress. Attendance is online and by invitation. If you are interested in attending, please contact NIAS.