We use STAG to model the interaction between demonstratives and tense found in Blackfoot (Algonquian). In clauses with no tense or aspect marking, past tense can be encoded through a distal demonstrative on either the internal argument (transitives, unaccusatives) or the external argument (unergatives). A fourth class of predicate, semantically transitive but syntactically intransitive with a pseudo-incorporated object, does not allow either argument to mark tense. Using the scope mechanics described in Frank and Storoshenko (2012), we first model the unique scope properties of pseudo-incorporation, following on the Bliss (2013) claim that predicate saturation in these cases derives from the Chung and Ladusaw (2004) operation of predicate restriction, not function application. Modelling the predicate restriction operation within a STAG derivation is shown to correctly predict the scope facts in a way such that the tense facts are also easily captured.
展开▼