Specification and inversion: Evidence from Malagasy

Authors

Ileana Paul, The University of Western OntarioFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2010

Journal

Austronesian and theoretical linguistics

Abstract

This paper analyzes specificational sentences in Malagasy and shows that such sentences involve obligatory inversion, marked by the topic particle dia. I argue that the topicalized element is a small clause predicate that inverts with its subject. Two competing analyses of this inversion are compared and contrasted. I conclude with a brief comparison of Malagasy and Tagalog.