Restricting person in comitative conjunction

Abstract

The paper discusses comitative conjunctions in Russian: such constructions are prohibited with the 1st or 2nd person singular pronoun as the host but are allowed with a non-pronominal DP or a plural pronoun as the host. To explain the contrast, I first present a uniform analysis for comitative conjunctions and Inclusive Plural Pronoun Constructions, whereby they are headed by a functional head D that can be realized either as an overt personal pronoun or a pro. Second, I propose that the person restriction stems from a combination of the following factors: (1) the timing of resolving multiple sets of φ-features on a single probe (as D agrees with both conjuncts), and (2) the inventory of silent pronouns available in the language.