Late Adjunction and Minimalist Phrase Structure

Bibliographic Data

ID4238333
AuthorsArthur Stepanov (0000-0001-8156-0541, University of Connecticut, corresponding author)
Year2001
Volume4
Issue2
Pages94-125
Publication date2001-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSyntax (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1368-0005 • E-ISSN: 1467-9612
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1467-9612.00038
OpenAlexW1985808532
LanguageEN
Citations received43
References cited11

An algorithm of phrase structure building is proposed within the bare phrase structure framework. The algorithm is rooted in the idea that applications of Merge-the operation that combines syntactic objects-should not change the set of basic relations (in particular, c-command) in the existing structure, what Chomsky (2000) terms "Least Tampering." Under the proposed algorithm, this idea translates into a requirement that Merger must take place at the root of the tree/phrase marker when possible. As a result, the algorithm forces (base-generated or moved) structural adjuncts to be Merged postcyclically. Three empirical consequences of the proposed algorithm are discussed: (1) constructions involving raising across the experiencer (e.g., John seems to Mary to be smart) are shown not to be problematic for the Minimal Link Condition (cf. Chomsky 1995b); (2) a novel account of Adjunct Island effects (Huang 1982) is proposed; and (3) a principled analysis of approximative inversion in Russian is offered

Adjunction · Algorithm · Combinatory logic · Generative grammar · Linguistics · Merge (version control · Natural language processing · Phrase · Phrase structure rules · Programming language · Pure mathematics · Computer Science · Linguistics and Discourse Analysis · Mathematics · Natural Language Processing Techniques · Philosophy · Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation · Artificial Intelligence · Theoretical Computer Science