On sluicing in Meadow Mari and Udmurt

Speaker: Ekaterina Georgieva (https://sites.google.com/view/egeorgieva)

Abstract: This talk zooms in on sluicing in Meadow Mari and Udmurt (Uralic). The aim of the talk is to first examine whether the elliptical sentences employed in these two languages show the footprint of isomorphic sluicing, where the elided material is structurally identical to the antecedent clause, or are rather instances of non-isomorphic sluicing derived from e.g. copular clauses or clefts. It will be shown that sluicing in Meadow Mari and Udmurt does show properties associated with isomorphic sluicing. Additionally, what makes the Meadow Mari and Udmurt data interesting is that wh-remnants can optionally bear possessive morphology; it will be examined what its role is. The talk will then explore possible accounts that capture the properties of sluicing in the two languages.