Null Subjects: Linguistic typology, acquisition, and language contact

Abstract

The article presents an account of the main proposals and models put forth to explain the variation in the expressed subjects in languages. One deals with the topic from the viewpoints of linguistic theory, linguistic typology, first and second language acquisition, and language contact. One discusses new hypotheses, possible ways to prove them, as well as the ramifications they can have for linguistics and related disciplines. This article may prove useful for researchers from several disciplines, who are interested in finding out about the state of the art on expressed subjects, and new directions in research, and who are willing to participate in related projects.