This dissertation focuses on the phenomenon of modalization of the adjective “capaz” (‘capable’ in Spanish) has been subject to. The main aims are, on the one hand, to analyse the syntax of the lexical item “capaz” from a synchronic point of view and, on the other, to describe the process of modalization that has operated on “capaz” from a diachronic point of view. We focus on the following constructions: (1) “un arquitecto capaz”, (2) “un arquitecto capaz para hacer todo tipo de encargos”, (3) “esta persona es capaz de aprobar los exámenes” and (4) “capaz que viene / venga a visitarnos”. To that end, we assume the formal generative framework (cf. Chomsky, 1995), making use of specific proposals within the Cartographic Project (cf. Cinque, 1999; Rizzi, 1997, 2001, 2004) and the theory of grammatical changed outlined in Roberts and Roussou (2003). In the first chapter, we describe the syntactic and semantic properties of “capaz” when it has a non-modal value that expresses capacity (cf. 1 and 2), a root modal value (cf. 3) and an epistemic modal value (cf. 3 and 4). In the second chapter, we analyse the syntax of “capaz” in the constructions (1)-(4). In the first part of this chapter, we justify that capaz does not select the preposition “para” (cf. 2) and the construction introduced by this preposition is located in the specifier of Degree Phrase, whose head selects “capaz”. From that point on, we defend that the embedded clause introduced by the preposition “de” is an internal argument of “capaz” (cf. 3). In the second part of this chapter, we propose that this adjective moves in Logical Form from the head of the Adjective Phrase to a head of ModEpistemic Phrase in Logical Form, adopting Cinque’s (1999) hierarchy -when “capaz” has an epistemic modal value (cf. 3)-. In the last part of this chapter, we defend that, when “capaz” is an attribute of the verb “ser” (‘o be’) and selects an internal argument (cf. 3), the subject of the main clause can display two syntactic behaviours: the subject is merged directly in the main clause and controls a PRO -root modality is interpreted- and the subject is merged in the embedded clause and it moves to the main clause because of case reasons -epistemic modality is interpreted-. In the third chapter, we analyse the syntax of “capaz” when it is configured as an epistemic marker (cf. 4). We analyse the position which this construction occupies in the left periphery (cf. Rizzi, 1997) and we examine the interactions of this epistemic marker with other elements. We propose that “capaz” merges in the specifier of ModEpistemic Phrase on the left periphery of the sentence. An adverbial syntax is acquired by “capaz”, because it admits indicative mood, the complementizer “que” can be deleted (capaz se enfada / enfade), it neither admit degree quantifiers (*muy capaz que) nor inflectional features (*capaces que). In the last chapter, we describe the diachronic evolution of this adjective. We describe the syntactic changes that have operated on “capaz” throughout the history of Spanish language. We defend that this adjective has the lexical property of infra-specification, which makes it possible to interpret the capacity reading (cf. 1 and 2), root reading (cf. 3) and epistemic reading (cf. 4). We propose that the mechanisms of language involved in the modalization of “capaz” are the transitivization -which was consolidated in the 18th century- and the adverbialization -which was consolidated in the 20th century-.
La modalización del adjetivo "capaz" en español: Aspectos sintácticos y variación
Serret Lanchares, S. (Author). 19 Jul 2021
Student thesis: Doctoral thesis
Student thesis: Doctoral thesis