Abstract:

In the literature, studies have suggested a hierarchical structure in the form of 1st P(erson)> 2nd P(erson), 2nd P > 1st P, 1st P = 2nd P for the person features in the language descriptions by taking the level of speech participation of person features into account. This study aimed to determine whether there is a person hierarchy in the form of 1st P > 2nd P or 2nd P > 1st P and a number hierarchy in the form of plural> singular or singular> plural in the processing of person and number features in Turkish subject DPs and IP heads. For this purpose, the Event-Related Potentials (ERP) were collected. The results show hierarchical structuring in the form of 2nd P > 1st P in terms of person features in the subject DP while structuring in the form of 1st P = 2nd P in the IP head. In terms of the number feature, no hierarchical structuring between singularity and plurality was found in either the subject DP or the IP head. The reason why this effect on person features in the IP head contrasts with the subject DP is considered to result from both the interpretability of the features in the subject DP and being equipped with D-features. The reason for the hierarchy in the subject DP to be 2nd P > 1st P is thought to stem from the fact that in the presentation of the first and second person in speech participant phrase, the [receiver] feature is presented in the second person, while the [speaker] is not presented in the first person, and the second person is more pronounced than the first person. It is thought that the reason why there is no difference in the number features is that the Number feature is uninterpretable in the IP head, as well as being a weak feature in the subject DP.