Same or different? Infinitival and subjunctive complementation vs. verb serialization in Bosnian/Croatian/Montenegrin/Serbian

Abstract

The paper deals with a heretofore understudied multi-verb construction in BCMS, which consists of two verbs inflected for imperative. The construction in question is shown to share the bulk of the properties found in serial verb constructions (SVC) across languages, such as mono-clausal syntax or single-event semantic readings. We thus argue that BCMS constructions of this type should be included within the broader SVC typology, which was not recognized in the previous literature. BCMS SVCs are subsequently compared to other similar constructions found in this language, such as control subjunctives or infinitives. The paper ends with a formal analysis that accounts for both the shared properties and the contrasts that these constructions exhibit.