D-Licensing in Adjectival Passives

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Syntax
• Grammatical Theory

Background:

• The Case Filter is a known requirement for nominal arguments (DPs).
• Restrictions on adjectival participle formation are not fully explained by Case assignment alone.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and define 'D-licensing' as a novel requirement for DPs.
• To explain the limitations of adjectival participles using the concept of D-licensing.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis of syntactic requirements.
• Examination of adjectival participle formation and complementation.

Main Results:

• Nominal arguments (DPs) are subject to both Case licensing and D-licensing.
• Adjectival participles lack the necessary D-licensing structure.
• This lack of D-licensing, not Case assignment failure, explains their restricted complementation.

Conclusions:

• D-licensing is a fundamental requirement for DPs, independent of Case.
• The concept of D-licensing provides a unified explanation for restrictions on adjectival participles.