Observations on Malagasy Presentatives

Abstract: Presentatives are a clause type that has received little attention in the literature. This paper provides a detailed description of presentatives in Malagasy, focusing on their internal structure. We show that although presentatives appear to conform to the typical predicate–subject structure of Malagasy, this clause type raises questions about key aspects of Malagasy syntax, including the nature of the subject position and definiteness restrictions. We suggest directions for further analysis and implications.