Nonsentential syntax in Classical Nahuatl
Location
PANEL: A State of the Field: Conversations and New Directions in Hispanic Studies
Wilder 101
Moderator: Ana María Díaz Burgos
Document Type
Presentation - Open Access
Start Date
5-1-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
5-1-2026 11:00 AM
Abstract
The syntax of utterances smaller than a sentence is an underdiscussed but intriguing grammatical quandary. Competing analyses propose deletion from a full sentence and base generation as a small utterance. Ellen Barton and Ljiljana Progovac (2005) propose a nonsentential analysis of the latter class. Their theory is couched in Minimalism, wherein the maximal projection of a sentential is at least a Tense Phrase, and nonsentential utterances are ones without the motivation to merge up to TP. However, their analysis is limited to mainly Indo-European languages. In this paper, I apply the nonsentential analysis to Classical Nahuatl, a Uto-Aztecan language with complex morphosyntax. I refer to Michel Launey’s theory of omnipredicativity in my consideration of the maximal projection of CN nouns and Jason Haugen’s argument for CN configurationality in my consideration of verbs. Ultimately, I claim that although nouns can act as predicates, they on their own do not project further than a Noun Phrase, allowing for NP nonsententials. However, due to the split-Comp model and the fact that CN is a verb-initial language, verbal utterances invariably project beyond TP, suggesting there are no VP nonsententials.
Keywords:
Linguistics, Syntax, Classical Nahuatl
Recommended Citation
Hart, Rafael Río, "Nonsentential syntax in Classical Nahuatl" (2026). Research Symposium. 16.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/researchsymp/2026/presentations/16
Major
Hispanic Studies; Linguistics
Project Mentor(s)
Yorki J. Encalada Egúsquiza, Hispanic Studies
2026
Nonsentential syntax in Classical Nahuatl
PANEL: A State of the Field: Conversations and New Directions in Hispanic Studies
Wilder 101
Moderator: Ana María Díaz Burgos
The syntax of utterances smaller than a sentence is an underdiscussed but intriguing grammatical quandary. Competing analyses propose deletion from a full sentence and base generation as a small utterance. Ellen Barton and Ljiljana Progovac (2005) propose a nonsentential analysis of the latter class. Their theory is couched in Minimalism, wherein the maximal projection of a sentential is at least a Tense Phrase, and nonsentential utterances are ones without the motivation to merge up to TP. However, their analysis is limited to mainly Indo-European languages. In this paper, I apply the nonsentential analysis to Classical Nahuatl, a Uto-Aztecan language with complex morphosyntax. I refer to Michel Launey’s theory of omnipredicativity in my consideration of the maximal projection of CN nouns and Jason Haugen’s argument for CN configurationality in my consideration of verbs. Ultimately, I claim that although nouns can act as predicates, they on their own do not project further than a Noun Phrase, allowing for NP nonsententials. However, due to the split-Comp model and the fact that CN is a verb-initial language, verbal utterances invariably project beyond TP, suggesting there are no VP nonsententials.
