משלימים שמניים והשמטת מילות יחס
Danon, Gabi. 2006. משלימים שמניים והשמטת מילות יחס . Hebrew Linguistics 58, 27-44. (In Hebrew)
Abstract⌗
This article discusses a variety of structures in Modern Hebrew in which a PP argument may sometimes alternate with a nominal one, in what looks like an optional dropping of the preposition. This includes various kinds of verbs belonging to morphological templates that never subcategorize for a DP, as well as certain argument-taking adjectives. An interesting generalization that holds for all these cases is that only indefinite noun phrases may appear without the preposition, whereas definites require the use of the P. This is reminiscent of the fact that definite objects of transitive verbs in Hebrew must also be preceded by a prepositional element, which is not required (and not allowed) in front of indefinite objects.
Assuming that prepositions are Case assigners, the optional P-omission in front of indefinites suggests that indefinites in Hebrew do not require abstract Case. This, in turn, is argued to follow from a structural difference between definites, which are DPs, and indefinites, which are bare NPs in Hebrew. Hebrew is a language which has definite articles but lacks indefinite articles, and this is what allows indefinite noun phrases that do not project a DP level. The generalization is thus that Hebrew allows P-drop in front of NPs but not in front of DPs, because only DPs require Case.