A syntactic examination of empty categories in the syntax of Gichuka: Government-binding

Abstract

This study is an attempt to describe the empty categories in Gichuka synchronic syntax within the framework of Government-Binding theory as proposed in Chomsky (1981). The research problem mainly focused on examining the evidence of empty categories in Gichuka synchronic syntax. This thesis claims that the majority of the empty categories suggested by Chomsky (1981) are not a property of universal grammar but parametric variations or option-points whose presence or absence in a particular language is determined by the structure of the language under investigation. Additionally, the thesis claims that Government-Binding approach suggested by Chomsky (1981) cannot independently provide an adequate account of the syntax of Gichuka since as it emerged in the study, the language has a complex array of morphological operations and discourse related factors such as stress and focus which are far beyond the descriptions suggested in the modules of Government-Binding theory. It is claimed in this thesis that interplay of morphology, syntax and discourse in Gichuka syntax can best be captured through a morpho-syntactic approach since the Government- Binding theory seems incapable of taking care of determining factors such as noun incorporation, and complex word order that result from morphological processes of verbal inflection and derivation. This is demonstrated in the thesis where Government- Binding theory runs into theory internal tensions in handling morphological derivational processes of passivization, refiexivization, subject incorporation, object incorporation and other valence increasing and reducing mechanisms. Chapter one of this thesis describes the background of the language, the research problems, hypotheses, the rationale, scope and limitation, the review of literature, the research methodology and the significance of the study. Chapter two focuses on the argument positions in Gichuka, the morphological processes such as refiexivization, passivization, subject prefixes, object prefixes and other valence increasing and reducing mechanisms. The chapter also describes the X-bar syntax of basic Gichuka sentence with the aim to outline the argument structure of the Gichuka verbal complex. Chapter three describes the empty categories in the syntax of Gichuka. It is in this chapter that the presence and/or absence of the empty categories in Gichuka is determined. In chapter four, the thesis assumes a comparative approach and describes the universality of empty categories in the universal grammar but using Gichuka data as a point of reference. It emerges in this chapter that only PRO and NP-traces are properties of universal grammar unlike the rest of the empty categories suggested in Chomsky (1981) which the thesis claims that they are parametric variations. Additionally, chapter four resolves some of the theoretical problems suggested in chapter three using a feature checking approach suggested in Chomsky (1993, 1995). In chapter five, the thesis provides a detailed summary of the research findings and relates them to the objectives of the study. This chapter ends with a set of recommendations for further research areas in the language under consideration .