ABSTRACT:
This paper examines the syntax of subject topic constructions in Brazilian Portuguese, such as “o celular acabou a bateria” (“the cell phone ended the battery”), in order to present: (i) the description of subject topic constructions involving a DP [+ possessor] in the subject position; (ii) a theoretical analysis, considering the assumptions of the Generative Theory in its Minimalist version (CHOMSKY, 1995CHOMSKY, N. The minimalist program. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1995., 1998CHOMSKY, N. Minimalist inquiries: the framework. Cambridge: MIT OPL, 1998., 2001CHOMSKY, N. Derivation by phase. In: KENSTOWICZ, M. (ed.). Ken Hale: a life in language. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2001. p. 1-52.). The data consists of (1) spontaneous speech, collected in Rio de Janeiro between 2012 and 2014; (2) sentences from online searches using Google's advanced search system. We propose that the subject topic is a kind of construction in which there is external possession and, therefore, the movement of the DP [+ possessor] to the subject position is triggered by syntactic requirements, such as, the necessity of checking of the Case by the DP in order to make visible its thematic role of [+ possessor] in the logical form.
KEYWORDS:
Subject topic constructions; External possession; Brazilian Portuguese
