The X-Bar Syntax of Lòkḁ ḁ NP Infinitival Clausal Complement
Abstract
Clauses without a tensed verb are called tenseless, non-finite or infinitival clauses. The finite and the non-finite clauses take different kinds of T(ense) elements. The T(ense) in tensed clauses can contain auxiliaries and modals. By contrast, the only element allowed in non-finite clauses is “to”. The distinction between finite and non-finite clauses is based partly on morphological criteria: thus, a clause is finite if it contains a finite verb (i.e a verb inflected for Tense/Agreement), and non-finite if it lacks a finite verb (e.g if it is a verbless clause, or if it is a clause containing a non-finite tenseless and agreementless verb), (Radford 1988:287). In this study therefore, infinitival complement in Lòkaạ̀ is examined within the framework of the x bar module as developed in Chomsky’s Lectures on Government and Binding (GB) Theory(1981). The study observes that the presence of the prepositional complementizer [n g] “for” enables the overt NP [we] “him” to survive in the subject position of the infinitive and that this complementizer is found only with the non-finite clauses.
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