Kimberly Johnson will speak in the Syntax Workshop on Friday March 23 at 2.30pm.

Title: Muskogee Creek: A Case of Too Many Options

Abstract: Muskogee Creek has a case system that is unusual in two ways. First, there are two cases, /-t/ which marks only subjects, and /-n/ which marks all non-subject nominals including adjunct-like nominals such as temporal adverbs and locations. Second, case is largely, but not entirely optional. This talk presents a formal analysis that attempts to capture the wide distribution of non-subject case, as well as to constrain optionality. I show that presence-absence of case is structurally constrained along two lines, and argue that both point to a Dependent Case analysis.