A Minimalist Analysis of Tense Carriers in the Syntax of Standard Arabic

Abstract

This paper investigates the syntax and semantics of tense in Standard Arabic (SA) within the framework of Chomsky’s Minimalist Program (1995). Unlike English, where tense is realized through auxiliaries, modals, or affix lowering, SA encodes tense across various functional categories, including complementizers, negators, and linking verbs. This study examines the syntactic roles of the complementizers ʔinna “indeed” and ʔanna “that”, in contrast with the infinitival ʔann “to”, and their interaction with clause structure. It also investigates Ibn Hisham’s traditional classification of linking verbs kāna “was” and its sisters, which he categorizes into (i) unmarked linking verbs, (ii) marked linking verbs that require a c-commanding licenser, and (iii) the conditional linking verb ma- dāma “as long as”. Special attention is given to laysa “is not”, which functions as a negative copular verb with inherent tense and agreement properties. This paper further explores the complementary distribution of kāna and the complementizer ʔinna, as well as the syntactic behavior of five key negators in SA: lā, lam, lan, lā functioning like laysa, and the generic lā (al-nāfiya li-l-jins). Their effects on tense interpretation and clause structure are analyzed in depth. Based on syntactic modules, such as Case Theory, Movement, Feature Valuation, and C-command, this study contributes to the understanding of how tense is encoded in Arabic, offering cross-linguistic insights into the architecture of functional categories in Arabic and English syntax. The findings demonstrate that tense in SA is realized through C, T, and Neg, each contributing to Case, Agreement, and Mood under locality constraints.