Sentence-Final Particles (SFPs): a cartographic analysis by phases on the Tenetehára language system

Abstract

The goal of this article is to analyze the distribution of sentence-final particles (SFPs) in Tenetehára. These particles comprise a set of functional items that occur in a rigid syntactic position at the end of the sentence. The order of SFPs in this language can be formally captured if one starts from a unique base structure from which their relative order can be derived. More specifically, we suggest that the linearization of the particles to the right is the result of raising the lowest particle, i.e. raising a projection with an agreement particle to the specifier of a dominating projection. This theory blends two hypotheses related to the Principles and Parameters Theory: Cinque’s Hierarchy (1999), and the Derivation by Phase Approach (Chomsky, 2001).

Keywords
Tupí-Guaraní; Tenetehára; Particles; Cinque Hierarchy; Phases