Impersonal null‐subjects in Icelandic and elsewhere*

Abstract

Abstract. This paper discusses impersonal null‐subjects in Icelandic and elsewhere. Despite the fact that the interpretation of Icelandic impersonal null‐subjects obeys restrictions similar to those observed for overt impersonal subject pronouns in various languages, they cannot be analyzed as lexical pronouns, deleted in PF. Rather, it is argued, impersonal null‐subjects are constructed in syntax, by combination (merger) of abstract features. In general, it seems that pronouns, silent and overt, are PF representations of complex syntactic structures, rather than tokens for discrete terminal nodes. In addition, the paper discusses the cross‐linguistic distribution and typology of impersonal null‐subjects.

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