Covert Nouns and Definiteness in Superlatives

Abstract

The Italian definite superlative phrase la/il più found in predicate superlative constructions is analyzed in the light of parallels to Syrian Arabic superlative constructions. The counterpart phrase in Arabic has an overt noun that shows a three-way morphological contrast: aktar waħd-e ‘most one-fem’, aktar wāħid ‘most one_MASC’, and aktar ʃi ‘most thing’. We postulate an analogous distinction in Italian involving a covert noun: la più ONE_FEM, il più ONE_MASC, and il più THING, and show that the choice of noun regulates the scope possibilities for the degree quantifier so formed in the same ways in the two languages. Morphological co-variation between the noun and the target of comparison indicates that the noun identifies the contrast set with respect to which the superlative is evaluated. We claim that Italian and Arabic are identical modulo the distinct lexicalization pattern above and a parameter of variation dictating that più may enter into a licensing configuration at LF that must hold in the surface structure in Arabic.