Dependent clauses in Albanian: A Balkan feature

Balkan languages are known for the use of the finite verb in control contexts, unlike Romance and Germanic languages. However, both Albanian and Aromanian varieties (Southern Albania) also present non-finite verbal forms in dependent clauses, in alternance with finite structures. Thus, Tosk/ standard Albanian shows both finite clauses in control contexts, and, in some contexts, a participial construction introduced by the prepositions për ‘for’, pa ‘without’, tu/ duke for the gerund. In Gheg variety all dependent contexts include an invariant form of the verbal base preceded by the preposition me ‘with’. Aromanian, like Tosk Albanian and Romanian, selects finite constructions in alternation with infinitives introduced by the preposition di ‘of’ or ti ‘for’. The article analyzes these data in keeping with recent papers by Chomsky which develop a Strong Minimalist approach to syntax.