On the structure of the stative construction with a genitive subject in modern Bengali

This paper investigates the precise structure of the stative construction with a genitive subject in modern Bengali (Bengali, hereafter), and considers the licensing mechanism of genitive subject in this construction. There are two types of stative constructions in Bengali: one with a nominative subject, and the other with a genitive subject. We address the issue of “how is the genitive subject in the stative construction licensed, when it apparently does not contain any nominal element?” We propose that in the stative construction with a genitive subject, there is an invisible nominal element in front of the verb, which agrees with the nominal, so that it shows 3rd person singular inflection, and this invisible noun licenses the genitive subject.