The locative paradigm in Spanish in the generative perspective

Abstract

The author deals with locative paradigm as a universal linguistic phenomenon, which encompasses three types of sentences: predicative-locative sentence, existential sentence and possessive sentence. It is assumed that all three types of sentences derive from the same deep structure. The emphasis is on the analysis of the Spanish locative paradigm; especially in linking verbs ser, estar, haber and tener as well as on those properties of nominal phrases that affect their distribution. The results show that the locative argument is mandatory, that the linking verbs of the locative paradigm derive from each other, and that in particular [+/- definiteness] of the theme and [+/- humanity] of the location influence the selection of a particular sentence type.