A new look at an old question: finite control and the copy relation with special reference to Arbëresh

Balkan languages show control (bound reading) of the embedded subject in finite contexts, unlike Romance and English which require a non-finite. These finite clauses are introduced by the so-called subjunctive particle (PRT), namely tə in Arbëresh (të in Albanian standard orthography). Finite control of this kind has long been a problem for generative grammar accounts. Many analyses have followed an Anglocentric approach, assimilating finite control contexts to non-finite ones, thus, justifying the existence of PRO for all cases of control. We review some attempts at enforcing PRO structures for Balkan languages as well as some alternatives, and the reasons that militate against them. We focus on the properties of tǝ-sentences and what sort of evidence they provide for a better understanding of control, showing that the two crucial factors are finite inflection and the PRT. In this context we consider the implications of the Form Copy (FC) account of control proposed by Chomsky 2021 for Balkan finite control, arguing that it offers an alternative that resolves the issue whether finite control involves PRO or pro as the controlled subject.