ANALYSIS OF WH-TRACE, CASE, AND THETA ASSIGNMENT INTERFACE IN TIV SYNTAX

Abstract

Syntactic studies account for defined procedures through which structural patterns and sentence formation in human languages are framed. Applicable to the Tiv syntax are the acceptable procedural account for traces, cases, and theta assignments. The major thrust of this paper is to analyse trace, case, chain, and theta assignment in Tiv syntax. The analysis is done through the lenses of Government Binding Theory – GB Syntax. The study adopts qualitative research method. Data for this research are obtained from library materials, and the intuitive knowledge of the researchers since they are Tiv – English bilinguals. The findings of the study reveal that in Tiv syntax, nominal subjects gets theta roles when they bind the trace directly or equivalently. Theta roles are also assigned to object complements of transitive verbs. Traces are also licensed in s-structure when they are bound by structural indices on the predicative verb phrase that contains them as they arise through movement. The findings further reveal that theta assignment is generated in d-structure, allowing wh-traces to appear in the s-structure. Trace and its antecedent are in a chain and as a result, they agree both in number and person.