Resumptive pronouns in adult and child Brazilian Portuguese

Abstract

In this study, I investigate the emergence of resumptive pronouns in the spontaneous production of a child acquiring Brazilian Portuguese as her native language. I adopt a theory of resumptive pronouns in which these elements are taken to be a last resort strategy. The child's behavior in this respect, together with an analysis of resumptive pronouns in adult BP, lead to the conclusion that the Brazilian Portuguese data is in accordance with a last resort analysis of resumptive pronouns, although it may look otherwise on the surface. I assume this last resort nature of resumptives is part of an innate knowledge. I conclude this paper discussing the advantages that the analysis presented here brings to a better description of adult Brazilian Portuguese.