Null Subject Constructions

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Revision as of 03:04, 21 February 2011 by JohnDoyleWagner (talk | contribs) (Definition given, as well as a given example in Persian. Would like to know if ScG is or is not pro-drop)

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Null subject

Null subject constructions are linguistic constructions found in languages that are typologically classified as Null subject languages. Null subject languages contain the pro-drop parameter, which is a language specific parameter, can only be described as 'on' or 'off'. This parameter is also common in languages that contain a very rich system of verbal inflectional morphology, which enables the language to convey the number, person and, in some languages, even the gender of the pronoun or agent of the inflected verb. This parameter is found in multiple languages throughout the world, therefore Null subject constructions are found in languages that are otherwise not related according to genetic classification.

Example of a Null Subject Constructions

Persian

من( ایرانی هستم)
(man) Irâni hast.am
(I) Iranian am
"I am Iranian"