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The interpretation of pro in consistent and partial null-subject languages

This chapter deals with the acceptability and interpretation of referential null subjects (NSs) and compares consistent pro-drop in Italian with equivalent sentences in Finnish (a partial NS language), in different syntactic constructions (matrix, completive, factive, and adverbial clauses). This leads to the formulation of an original proposal that opens new perspectives for future research. Specifically, based on the interpretive judgements of 273 native speakers of Finnish, it is shown that a Topic chain analysis (Frascarelli 2007) can (and should) be assumed in partial NS languages as well, and that ‘partiality’ cannot be explained through narrow syntactic constraints. The Locality requirement is thus re-proposed as an Interface Visibility Condition (IVC), according to which in partial NS languages a pro is preferably interpreted as referring to the closest overt link in a Topic chain. The Topic Criterion is thus proposed as a Macroparameter of NS languages and the necessity of a ‘graded analysis’ ascribed to the IVC (as a Mesoparameter).