Alignment and Subjecthood in Latin

Abstract This monograph provides a thorough, empirically supported, and theoretically informed examination of alignment and subject assignment in Latin. It challenges the prevailing view of Latin as solely characterized by a nominative–accusative alignment, presenting compelling evidence that this perspective is insufficient. The author argues that, in addition to the neutralization of semantic roles into the two principal syntactic relations of subject and object, there exist numerous grammatical constructions that cannot be adequately explained in these terms. Instead, they should be analyzed on the basis of the semantic roles of the arguments, which are ultimately determined by their relationship to the predicate. This analysis underscores the significance of lexical classes in shaping Latin’s grammar, particularly in the study of infinitival subjects, the interpretation of -tus participles in non-deponent verbs, the contrast between -tus and -tio nominalizations, some middle and impersonal structures, and the development and extension of the accusative. The findings not only shed new light on Latin morphosyntax, but also advocate for the recognition of a rich, fully analyzable lexicon within the framework of grammar.