A Modular account of null objects in French

Abstract

Abstract. The interaction among pragmatics, semantics, and grammar and their shared responsibility for interpretation are essential factors in linguistic analysis. This paper explores the interpretation of null objects (NOs) in French from this perspective. Previous accounts have determined two major classes based on the referentiality of the NO; however, these analyses end up, paradoxically, with a semantically vague description of the difference, resorting to undefined notions of identifiability, topic/focus, or probable reference. Starting from the assumption that all NOs are syntactically represented, we tease apart the contributions of syntax, semantics, and pragmatics, which turn out to be simple and straightforward. We propose a typology comprising two syntactic types of NO; further nuances are a function of the varying contributions of verbal semantics and pragmatics.