The Category P Features, Projections, Interpretation

22
(2)
Criterion Functional categories Lexical categories
i. Class type Small, closed Large, open
ii. Morphological properties Non-flexional, affixal, null Flexional, full
iii. Syntactic properties:
Head-complement relation Subcategorized Theta-related
Syntactic realization of complement Obligatory
Non-Obligatory
Movement Impossible Possible
In what follows I will show that P clearly patterns with the functional categories.
2.1.2 The functional properties of P
According to the criteria in (2), most properties of P are functional. 8 I will start
with these and discuss the remaining unclear property of P in 2.1.3.
(i) Type of class
A well-known observation regarding P is that it is a non-productive, closed
category, consisting of a rather small group of items, 20-30, and not hundreds
(Emonds 1985). Therefore the category P is referred to as a minor category, similarly
to the core functional categories. 9
(ii) Morphological properties ((non)flexional, full/affixal/null)
Ps are non-flexional. As opposed to the lexical categories and on a par with the
functional ones, Ps are neither inputs nor outputs of systematic derivational processes.
They do, however, show a wide range of etymological sources: verbs, nouns,
adjectives, adverbs, etc. (Van Riemsdijk 1978, Bierwisch 1988, Fries 1991, Vincent
8 I refer to the properties of the functional categories as functional properties, and those of the lexical
categories as lexical properties.
9 For some productivity within the group of complex Ps in Dutch such as pending, concerning, with
regard to, etc., see Zwarts 1997, Van Riemsdijk 1998.