In the Minimalist framework Case is required to be properly licensed (i.e. checked) in accordance with the mechanism of feature checking under a certain structural condition. Feature checking is possible only when the element (checkee) that possesses ...
In the Minimalist framework Case is required to be properly licensed (i.e. checked) in accordance with the mechanism of feature checking under a certain structural condition. Feature checking is possible only when the element (checkee) that possesses the feature to be checked is in the Checking Domain of the element(checker) that possesses the checking feature. Case checking is divided into two: one is structural and the other lexical. The structural case checking takes place through a Spec-Head relation, whereas the lexical case feature is checked by X° in the Complement Checking Domain.
The following are discussed in this article:
1. Nominative Case is structurally checked by T. the feature of which is [+Agr, +Tns]. in [Spec, TP]: Accusative case is also structurally checked by V which has Accusative Case feature in [Spec, VP].
2. V°, N°, A°, P° check their complement's case feature as a lexical case assigner.
3. The so-called 'Dative subject' in impersonal sentences is structurally checked by T, the feature of which is [-Agr, +Tns], in (Spec, TP].
4. The Nominative Case of semipredicatives (odin, sam) in the subject-controlled infinitival clause is structurally checked in double-layered [Spec, TP]: the Dative Case of semipredicatives in the object-controlled infinitival clause is checked by T [-Agr, -Tns] in the lower [Spec, TP].
5. Secondary predicative Instrumental Case is checked by the lexical case assigner 'O-be' which is the head of PredP of the small clause.
6. "Sameness" of Case on predicates reduces to structural case, given the possibility of a predicate and an argument sharing the specifier positions of a single case checking head.
7. Quantifier Genitive and Partitive Genitive Case is checked by the lexical head Q inside QP.
8. Genitive of Negation is checked in [Spec, NegP] which is located between PredP and VP.