Late Adjunction and Minimalist Phrase Structure

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4238333
AutoresArthur Stepanov (0000-0001-8156-0541, University of Connecticut, autor de correspondencia)
Año2001
Volumen4
Número2
Páginas94-125
Fecha de publicación2001-08-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaSyntax (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1368-0005 • E-ISSN: 1467-9612
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1467-9612.00038
OpenAlexW1985808532
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas43
Referencias citadas11

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