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Chapter 7. Scrambling and locality constraints in child Japanese

  • Koji Sugisaki and Keiko Murasugi
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Studies in Chinese and Japanese Language Acquisition
This chapter is in the book Studies in Chinese and Japanese Language Acquisition

Abstract

Scrambling has been one of the central issues in the theoretical studies of Japanese syntax. Yet, there is still limited research that investigates children’s knowledge of this movement phenomenon, and further research is needed to obtain a deeper understanding of when and how children acquire various properties of Japanese scrambling. In this study, we conduct an experiment with Japanese-speaking preschool children to determine whether these children are sensitive to the locality constraints on long-distance scrambling. The results of our experiment confirm the findings from previous studies on short-distance scrambling that preschool children have adult-like knowledge of this movement phenomenon. More importantly, our findings add a new piece of evidence from Japanese for the hypothesis that properties of UG constrain the course of acquisition from the earliest observable stages (e.g., Crain 1991).

Abstract

Scrambling has been one of the central issues in the theoretical studies of Japanese syntax. Yet, there is still limited research that investigates children’s knowledge of this movement phenomenon, and further research is needed to obtain a deeper understanding of when and how children acquire various properties of Japanese scrambling. In this study, we conduct an experiment with Japanese-speaking preschool children to determine whether these children are sensitive to the locality constraints on long-distance scrambling. The results of our experiment confirm the findings from previous studies on short-distance scrambling that preschool children have adult-like knowledge of this movement phenomenon. More importantly, our findings add a new piece of evidence from Japanese for the hypothesis that properties of UG constrain the course of acquisition from the earliest observable stages (e.g., Crain 1991).

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Studies in Chinese and Japanese Language Acquisition 1
  4. Part I. Tasks
  5. Chapter 1. The Truth Value Judgment Task 13
  6. Chapter 2. Negation, uncertainty, and the Truth Value Judgment Task 41
  7. Part II. Binding
  8. Chapter 3. Logophoric z iji in Mandarin child language 65
  9. Chapter 4. Kare and the acquisition of bound variable interpretations by Korean speaking learners of Japanese 85
  10. Chapter 5. Interpretation of bound pronouns by learners of Japanese Sign Language 107
  11. Chapter 6. The acquisition of the non-subject status of nominative objects in Japanese 127
  12. Part III. Scope Interactions
  13. Chapter 7. Scrambling and locality constraints in child Japanese 147
  14. Chapter 8. On scope interaction between subject QPs and negation in child grammar 165
  15. Chapter 9. Native and non-native comprehension of the Japanese existential quantifier nanko-ka 197
  16. Part IV. Wh-words and Logical Expressions
  17. Chapter 10. Free choice and wh -indefinites in child Mandarin 223
  18. Chapter 11. The acquisition of the wh -pronoun duo-shao in child Mandarin 237
  19. Chapter 12. Logical expressions in Mandarin-speaking children with autism spectrum disorders 265
  20. Name Index 281
  21. Subject Index 285
https://doi.org/10.1075/lald.60.08sug

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Studies in Chinese and Japanese Language Acquisition 1
  4. Part I. Tasks
  5. Chapter 1. The Truth Value Judgment Task 13
  6. Chapter 2. Negation, uncertainty, and the Truth Value Judgment Task 41
  7. Part II. Binding
  8. Chapter 3. Logophoric z iji in Mandarin child language 65
  9. Chapter 4. Kare and the acquisition of bound variable interpretations by Korean speaking learners of Japanese 85
  10. Chapter 5. Interpretation of bound pronouns by learners of Japanese Sign Language 107
  11. Chapter 6. The acquisition of the non-subject status of nominative objects in Japanese 127
  12. Part III. Scope Interactions
  13. Chapter 7. Scrambling and locality constraints in child Japanese 147
  14. Chapter 8. On scope interaction between subject QPs and negation in child grammar 165
  15. Chapter 9. Native and non-native comprehension of the Japanese existential quantifier nanko-ka 197
  16. Part IV. Wh-words and Logical Expressions
  17. Chapter 10. Free choice and wh -indefinites in child Mandarin 223
  18. Chapter 11. The acquisition of the wh -pronoun duo-shao in child Mandarin 237
  19. Chapter 12. Logical expressions in Mandarin-speaking children with autism spectrum disorders 265
  20. Name Index 281
  21. Subject Index 285
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