Comparative Syntax of the Balkan Languages (Oxford ... - Cryptm.org

ADJECTIVAL DETERMINERS IN ALBANIAN AND GREEK 171In Greek, as opposed to Albanian, both processes of identification, the one depictedin (26b) and the one depicted in (27b), are available. In Albanian, anexample corresponding to (26a) is ungrammatical (cf. section 9.1 for discussionof Albanian prenominal adjectives). Consequently, (26b) is unavailable. I wouldlike to suggest that this contrast between the two languages is due to the factthat in Greek, as opposed to Albanian, the relevant definite determiner, the leftmostto in (27a), is a free morpheme. Thus, it may be included in the derivation,yielding the identification process in (27b), u or it may not be included in thederivation, yielding 6 identification, as in (26b), that is, to kaio vivlio. InAlbanian, on the other hand, definiteness is marked on a suffix on the noun (cf.section 2) and thus has to be part of the morphological make-up of the noun.Consequently, it is always included in the derivation, 6 identification is blocked,and the Principle of Full Interpretation in this case can only be satisfied throughthe identification process in (27b). 15 In (22a) and (23a), when at Spec, D/PP, thenoun enters in a Spec-head configuration with the adjectival determiner headingthe D/PP, and thus, agreement in morphological features between the noun andthe adjectival determiner can be checked. As already discussed in sections 2 and3, in both the Albanian and the Greek examples in (22b) and (23b), respectively,the adjectival determiner agrees in morphological features with the noun. It isthe spell-out of the [a DEF, P Case, y gender, 8 number] features of the nounmodified by the corresponding adjective. The analysis proposed here straightforwardlycaptures this fact.6. Definiteness agreement checkingAs already mentioned (cf. (15) in section 2.1 above), in Albanian, the form ofthe adjectival determiner depends on whether it immediately follows a definitenoun or not. Observe, for instance, the different forms of the adjectival determinerin (28a) and (28b):(28) a.b.nje vajzea girl-INDEF.FEM.DAT.SG•good girl (DAT)'t eDET-INDEF.FEM.DAT.SGvajzessegirl-DEF.FEM.DAT.SG DET-DEF.FEM. .DAT.SG'the good girl (FEM.DAT)'miregood-FKM.SGmiregood-FEM.SGI call the token of the adjectival determiner that immediately follows a definitenoun the definite token of the adjectival determiner. In all other positions thenondefinite one appears, with the exception discussed in note 16, for the followingcombinations of gender, number, and Case: an adjectival determiner immediatelyfollowing a definite noun has a form different from that which it has in allthe other positions in which it may occur:(i)(ii)in the singular accusative of the masculine and the feminine,in the singular nominative and accusative of the neuter,