The syntax of subordination

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This study examines the categorial status of subordinating conjunctions and the structure of subordinate clauses. It begins with prevalent categorizations in generative linguistic theory, specifically complementizers and prepositions, and explores the division of syntactic categories into lexical and functional types. The author investigates the lexical and grammatical properties of subordinating conjunctions, which influence the distribution and architecture of subordinate clauses. A key focus is the relationship between the category of subordinating conjunctions, the licensing of their projections, and the licensing of their complement and specifier positions. Part I discusses subordination in early Generative Grammar, the emergence of the category C, and the classification of subordinating conjunctions. Part II delves into contemporary concepts of phrase structure, the range of syntactic categories, the lexical-functional dichotomy, and syntactic movement. Part III analyzes the lexical properties of complementizers (C), prepositions (P), and a third category of subordinating conjunctions (Subcon), which merges features of Cs and Ps. This classification is based on the distribution of the phrases they head and how these elements license their complement and specifier. Cs, as functional heads, use feature checking for licensing, while Ps, as lexical heads, employ theta-marking. In SubconP, the complement is licensed through