Abstract:
In this study, we have described the (co-)occurrence of seven verbal extensions in
Cinyungwe in the light of the Minimalist Program (MP). Our study focused on the theoretical
proposals of movement as last resort and features checking theory. However, our analysis has
also been extended to the more recent approaches in the MP, such as the separation of the Voice
and Cause in the universal inventory of functional heads, variation in cause selection: Roots,
Verbs, or Phases and applicative typology.
This study shows that all syntactic computation is driven by the need of feature checking.
Therefore, the movement of all lexical items occurred whenever the lexical item has a feature to
be checked. It also shows that the Chomsky’s (1995) MP explains only partially the co-
occurrence of the Verbal Extensions in Cinyungwe. This is the reason why we have used Baker
(1988), Ngunga (1999) and Hyman (2002) as resources to theoretical assumptions to explain
why verbal extensions in Cinyungwe (co-)occur in the order they do.
We also used Pylkkänen (2008) as another theoretical assumption to show that in
Cinyungwe, Voice and Cause are two separated functional heads; Cause is phase-selecting and,
thirdly, the analyzed data points out that we have high applicative.
In sum, we can say that this study brings these three theoretical proposals to analyze the
(co-)occurance of Verb Extensions in Cinyungwe.
However, we have to recall that these theoretical proposals are part of the Minimalist
Program, in particular, in the attempt to develop ideas of economic derivation and representation,
since the MP argues that UG contains only what is necessary to meet our conceptual, physical
and biological needs.
