Predicate-sluicing in Tokelauan

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Abstract
This paper sheds light on sluicing structures in Tokelauan, a predicate-initial Polynesian language. Crosslinguistically, sluicing has been analyzed as having various different underlying structures, with many Austronesian languages deriving sluicing from pseudoclefts, which have wh-predicates. For Malagasy, it has been proposed that this is predicate-sluicing, which implies any wh-predicate should be able to appear as a sluicing remnant. Tokelauan has multiple structures with wh-predicates, including pseudoclefts (with ko-predicates), interrogative locative PPs, and interrogative verbs. We can therefore test the concept of predicate-sluicing to see whether all wh-predicates are licit sluicing remnants, or if the distribution is narrower. This paper demonstrates that for Tokelauan, only ko-predicates (i.e., predicates that combine a DP with a ko morpheme) can underlie genuine sluicing with clausal-ellipsis. Other wh-predicates may appear in sluicing-like constructions, but these are formed from pseudosluicing (pro-drop that creates the appearance of a genuine sluice). It is proposed that the distinction between ko-predicates and other predicates in sluicing is due to the structure of these predicates. Only ko-predicates check the E(llipsis)-feature to form genuine sluicing, while other predicates are unable to check this E-feature, meaning they are never found in genuine sluicing. Consequently, the concept of predicate-sluicing is too broad for the phenomenon found in Tokelauan, as only ko-predicates may be sluiced.
Funding Information
  • Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi
  • University of Auckland

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