The Modern Greek Subjunctive Complementation: A Diachronic and Typological Approach

This study explores one of the most salient features of the Modern Greek (MG) syntax, namely the complementation function of the na-clauses. Traditionally, this grammatical structure is seen as a mood category, a part of the verbal paradigm and is designated as a 'subjunctive'. However, in spite of numerous publications dealing with the phenomenon, linguistic scholarship has not yet reached a consensus about the exact syntactic and semantic features of this grammatical construction. In this monograph it is suggested that the na-clauses do constitute a genuine mood category, nevertheless the impressionistic descriptiveness of traditional terminology should be supported by a more systematic and up-to-date semantic and syntactic analysis.
The book comprises eight chapters that offer a "holistic" approach to MG subjunctive complementation. To that end the na-clauses are examined by investigating extensive diachronic, synchronic, and typological data that shed light on this single phenomenon. Diachronically, the rise of the finite complementation in MG in Koinē and Early Middle Greek - and the parallel demise of the non-finite verbal categories - is discussed, synchronically the na-clauses are analyzed with regard to their semantic function and exact syntactic properties and typologically the MG na-clause are contrasted with several germane cross-linguistic complementation structures.
Despite the major importance of the subjunctive complementation within the MG syntax, this is the first monograph exclusively dedicated to this phenomenon. It aims to provide a precise description of the na-clauses which will be enduring and useful for any future attempt to better comprehend the overall complementation architecture of the Modern Greek language. In terms of methodology, it encompasses findings stemming from the long grammatic tradition on Greek philology, language contact research and state-of-the-art diachronic syntax.
This work is a slightly revised version of the author's doctoral thesis which was awarded the Indo-European Society's 2013 prize for best dissertation and will be of interest to historical linguists, syntacticians, typologists as well as classical philologists.