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Complementation in Saramaccan and Gungbe: The Case of C-type Modal Particles*

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Abstract

This paper shows that Saramaccan and Gungbe exhibit a complementizer system that provides room for discrete functional projections, the heads of which are realized as markers that encode C-type features (e.g., interrogative, topic, focus) and whose specifiers host distinct fronted elements. These projections occur between Force and Finiteness, which delimit the complementizer system, and may be realized by various modal particles in Saramaccan and Gungbe. It is argued that the Saramaccan form fu represents two complementizer types: fu1, which encodes irrealis mood under Force, and fu2, which realizes deontic modality under Fin(iteness). The same holds for the Gungbe conditional complementizer ní1, which merges under Force, and ní2, which expresses deontic modality under Fin. This would mean that both Force and Fin express mood specifications, contrary to what is commonly assumed in the literature.

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  1. University of Amsterdam, ACLC, Spuistraat 210, NL-1012, VT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Enoch Oladé Aboh

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Correspondence to Enoch Oladé Aboh.

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*This study is based on data collected in Wageningen (The Netherlands), and Paramaribo and Semoisi (Suriname). I thank all my consultants for their patience and for giving me part of their time. Data taken from previous research are indicated as such, and reproduced as they appeared in the sources. I also thank Hans den Besten, Norval Smith, and four NLLT anonymous reviewers whose comments and criticisms have helped improve this paper significantly. I am also thankful to Marcel den Dikken for assistance on both the content and form of this paper

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Aboh, E.O. Complementation in Saramaccan and Gungbe: The Case of C-type Modal Particles*. Nat Lang Linguist Theory 24, 1–55 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11049-005-1815-4

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