On inherent complement verbs in Kwa

Abstract

Several analyses have been proposed for the “inherent complement erbs” (ICVs) of the Kwa languages. In this paper, I propose that given the morphosyntactic and semantic properties of both the erb and its complement, it makes sense to treat such erbs like light erbs (Butt 2010), with a more functional role. Following Langer (2005), I argue that the erb only c-selects its “inherent complement”(IC). e IC is thus only a syntactic argument but not a semantic argument of its erb. Accordingly, I base-generate the ICV in Little v (Hale and Keyser 1993), di erent from lexical erbs which are base-generated in (Big) V.is structural representation is not only conceptually motivated, in the sense that the erb is semantically weak, but also, that empirically, the focus properties of an ICV construction suggest that the IC incorporates into a phonetically empty V