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Chapter 5. Pied-piping in degree wh-clauses in Spanish

  • Luis Eguren and Alberto Pastor
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Current Theoretical and Applied Perspectives on Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics
This chapter is in the book Current Theoretical and Applied Perspectives on Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics

Abstract

This paper presents a novel analysis of (non)-pied-piping structures in degree wh-clauses with adjectives in Spanish based on the idea in Heck (2008, 2009) that optional pied-piping cannot exist. Under this assumption, it is argued that pied-piping and non-pied-piping structures in the constructions under study originate from two different structures: pied-piping structures obtain from a standard structural configuration in which the degree wh-form heads a functional phrase in the extended projection of the adjective, whereas the discontinuous structure with cómo de ‘how of’ ([cómo … de+A]) results from a reanalysis process turning de+A into a verbal adjunct. This analysis is extended to related constructions both in Spanish and in other Romance languages, and some apparent counterexamples are also discussed.

Abstract

This paper presents a novel analysis of (non)-pied-piping structures in degree wh-clauses with adjectives in Spanish based on the idea in Heck (2008, 2009) that optional pied-piping cannot exist. Under this assumption, it is argued that pied-piping and non-pied-piping structures in the constructions under study originate from two different structures: pied-piping structures obtain from a standard structural configuration in which the degree wh-form heads a functional phrase in the extended projection of the adjective, whereas the discontinuous structure with cómo de ‘how of’ ([cómo … de+A]) results from a reanalysis process turning de+A into a verbal adjunct. This analysis is extended to related constructions both in Spanish and in other Romance languages, and some apparent counterexamples are also discussed.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Introduction 1
  4. Chapter 1. Geographic variation of voseo on Spanish Twitter 7
  5. Chapter 2. Organic models for measuring Spanish learners’ linguistic complexity 39
  6. Chapter 3. Role of social interaction abroad in the L2 acquisition of sociolinguistic variation 63
  7. Chapter 4. The effect of grammatical person on subject pronoun expression in the oral narratives of Spanish second language learners 85
  8. Chapter 5. Pied-piping in degree wh-clauses in Spanish 109
  9. Chapter 6. Degree, time and focus 133
  10. Chapter 7. Neural evidence for the processing of referential ambiguity and referential failure in Spanish 153
  11. Chapter 8. The overt pronoun penalty for plural anaphors in Spanish 175
  12. Chapter 9. On the origins of Portuguese para form variation 189
  13. Chapter 10. Developing epistemic meaning 215
  14. Chapter 11. The acquisition of personal a among Chinese-speaking L2 learners of Spanish 233
  15. Chapter 12. Proposing a tripartite intensifier system 253
  16. Chapter 13. Public signage in a multilingual Caribbean enclave 273
  17. Chapter 14. No es tan simple como parece 295
  18. Chapter 15. The acquisition of obligatory and variable mood selection in epistemic predicates by L2 learners and heritage speakers of Spanish 319
  19. Index 343
https://doi.org/10.1075/ihll.27.05egu

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Introduction 1
  4. Chapter 1. Geographic variation of voseo on Spanish Twitter 7
  5. Chapter 2. Organic models for measuring Spanish learners’ linguistic complexity 39
  6. Chapter 3. Role of social interaction abroad in the L2 acquisition of sociolinguistic variation 63
  7. Chapter 4. The effect of grammatical person on subject pronoun expression in the oral narratives of Spanish second language learners 85
  8. Chapter 5. Pied-piping in degree wh-clauses in Spanish 109
  9. Chapter 6. Degree, time and focus 133
  10. Chapter 7. Neural evidence for the processing of referential ambiguity and referential failure in Spanish 153
  11. Chapter 8. The overt pronoun penalty for plural anaphors in Spanish 175
  12. Chapter 9. On the origins of Portuguese para form variation 189
  13. Chapter 10. Developing epistemic meaning 215
  14. Chapter 11. The acquisition of personal a among Chinese-speaking L2 learners of Spanish 233
  15. Chapter 12. Proposing a tripartite intensifier system 253
  16. Chapter 13. Public signage in a multilingual Caribbean enclave 273
  17. Chapter 14. No es tan simple como parece 295
  18. Chapter 15. The acquisition of obligatory and variable mood selection in epistemic predicates by L2 learners and heritage speakers of Spanish 319
  19. Index 343
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