STRUCTURAL CASE ASSIGNMENT, THEMATIC ROLES AND INFORMATION STRUCTURE^*

Abstract

A formal model is presented which deduces the structural case assignment profile of Finnish by relying on graph‐theoretical paths and intervention. More complex and controversial features such as nonlocal dependencies, adverbial case marking, case competition, DP‐internal case patterns and interaction of case with agreement, aspect and polarity are also calculated from the model. Abstract Case and case concord were eliminated. The model links case assignment with word order, thematic roles and information structure. The results suggest that case might play a role in language comprehension.