As is well known, a particular syntactic function is performed by a particular syntactic category (part of speech): a noun phrase prototypically functions as an argument (such as subject, object) and a verb phrase is used to denote a predicate. Howeve ...
As is well known, a particular syntactic function is performed by a particular syntactic category (part of speech): a noun phrase prototypically functions as an argument (such as subject, object) and a verb phrase is used to denote a predicate. However, this prototypical (or unmarked/default) relation between category and function may be destroyed in a certain enviironment. When this happens, it is observed that a special device may be utilized in order to remedy the awkward situation for the category. The device is suggested to be called in this paper "Function Adapter(=FA)". Now that FAs can appear when a "skewed" relation between category and function, it is expected that they form a special grammatical (i.e., morpho-syntactic) category. For example, in English, -s (the "possessive") is an FA, signalling a marked function that is prototypically performed by determiners, whose unmarked function is a specifier. Further, BE is an FA, signalling a marked 'predicate' function. The so-called 'Gerund' suffix -ing, unlike the previous views is recognized in this paper to be an FA, whose role is to "adapt the VP to a new environment, namely an argument function. In short, the three expressions {-s, BE, -ing} constitute the inflectional category of FA, which seems to be a new grammatical category. It is worth while noting that FA is a syntactic element; in other words, FA is necessary when a constituent of a sentence (phrase) functions differently from its usual syntactic function. Its realization is not homogeneous; one is morphological, but others are syntactic. FAs are basically assigned to the phrase, although they are realized to the head or the edge. This is one of essential differences between syntactic affix and lexical affix (derviational affix). The latter's scope is only to the word level; it does not go beyond the word level to the phrase level.
It is claimed in this paper that the Korean "copular" construction is really a complex functional construction, and '이' is an FA. This view allows us to form a morphosyntactic category that is valid cross-linguistically. In other words, Just like in English, in Korean too, there must be recognized a new morphosyntactic category of FA, which includes '이', '의' (when an NP functions as a specifier), '음/기' (when a VP functions as an argument), and '은/을/는' (when a VP functions as a modifier). Similarly, in Upper Sorbian "Possessive Adjective Construction", -ow represents an FA, which is utilized in order to signal the marked relation that an NP functions markedly as a specifier. Finally, in Quechua nominalization, -sqa is added in order to make the VP more "comfortable" to the situation where it has a "skewed" argument function. This research argues that in all complex functional constructions the part of speech of a phrase remains identical, and what changes is the phrase's syntactic function. This obviates the previously suggested lexical categoy of "mixed category". Finally, this study further proves that the principle of markedness is pervasive in language structure; the morphological precedence relation reflects the syntactic hierarchical relation.