-le/-tzaile inflexiozko atzizkiaz

Abstract

This paper analizes the nature of the Basque inflectional suffix -le/-tzaile, comparing it with the derivational suffix of the same form. As we will see, the inflectional suffix can select for a wide range of constituents, such as dative phrases, post positional phrases, adverbs and even finite clauses. Thus, the complement of the inflectional suffix -le/-tzaile can be claimed to be a vP or even a higher phrase such as I(nflection)P. As happens in participal predication in Basque (Ortiz de Urbina & Uribeetxebarria 1991), predication is mediated by empty operators in inflectional -le/-tzaile structures, giving rise to similarities with relative clauses.