The interplay of idiomatic expressions and syntactic constructions

Abstract

This paper discusses idiomatic expressions in natural language where a particular verb and its particular direct object are interpreted in a special way which cannot be predicted based on the meaning of individual words. We discuss the interplay of certain syntactic constructions in Icelandic and the interpretation of these syntactic constructions. We show that idioms that lose their idiomatic meaning in a canonical passive retain it in the new impersonal constuction. Properties that characterize verbal idioms are Þ átur var tekin í hlaupinu af Höskuldi42 

discussed as well as theories put forth by Chomsky and Lebeaux regarding the analysis of such data. Those theories are compatible with the view that the new impersonal construction in Icelandic involves a silent subject because a silent element in the subject position should block A-movement of the direct object. If the object cannot move, the verb and its object are adjacent and nothing prevents an interpretation where the two subparts of the idiom are interpreted as one semantic unit.

Keywords: idiomatic phrases, idiomatically combining expressions, passive, Icelandic, syntax