ADJECTIVAL INFLECTION AND THE LICENSING OF EMPTY CATEGORIES IN DP

This paper is about the licensing conditions on empty categories in DP , dealing in particular with the distribution of the null noun pro in adjectival contexts. I will show that N-pro is submitted to requiremen ts of formal licensing and identification, in which inflexional morpho logy plays a crucial role. Under this scenario, the contrast between E nglish and other languages with respect to N-pro can be attributed to the absence versus presence of inflexional morphology within the nomin al domain. It will be argued that the adjectival morphology we find in languages other than English actually corresponds to three different phenomena. Whereas certain morphemes are regular spell-outs of adjecti val agreement, others must be regarded as special inflexional endings surfacing for reasons of formal licensing and/or identification.