Long-distance agreement without Probe-Goal relations
-
Omer Preminger
Abstract
In this paper, I explore the possibility accounting for constructions that appear to instantiate Long-Distance Agreement without appealing to a formal operation of agreement-at-a-distance. The viability of such an account is particularly important in light of recent theoretical developments that suggest a move away from Probe-Goal oriented approaches to movement, and towards viewing movement as a response to formal needs of the moving element itself. Broadly speaking, I consider two possible approaches: (i) agreement is established in a purely local con.guration, followed by the agreeing head (and whatever material ends up intervening between this head and the target nounphrase) moving away, giving the impression of Long-Distance Agreement; and (ii) apparent Long-Distance Agreement is actually an instance of syntactic movement in which the phonological component chooses to pronounce the moved element in its lower position. It is shown that the latter approach fares better with respect to the scopal properties of several constructions, including English expletiveassociate constructions, and so-called Long-Distance Agreement in Hindi-Urdu and in Basque.
Abstract
In this paper, I explore the possibility accounting for constructions that appear to instantiate Long-Distance Agreement without appealing to a formal operation of agreement-at-a-distance. The viability of such an account is particularly important in light of recent theoretical developments that suggest a move away from Probe-Goal oriented approaches to movement, and towards viewing movement as a response to formal needs of the moving element itself. Broadly speaking, I consider two possible approaches: (i) agreement is established in a purely local con.guration, followed by the agreeing head (and whatever material ends up intervening between this head and the target nounphrase) moving away, giving the impression of Long-Distance Agreement; and (ii) apparent Long-Distance Agreement is actually an instance of syntactic movement in which the phonological component chooses to pronounce the moved element in its lower position. It is shown that the latter approach fares better with respect to the scopal properties of several constructions, including English expletiveassociate constructions, and so-called Long-Distance Agreement in Hindi-Urdu and in Basque.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Preface ix
-
Part I. Introduction
- Traveling without moving 3
- The numeration in Survive-minimalism 21
-
Part II. Studies of movement phenomena and structure building in Survive-minimalism
- Long-distance agreement without Probe-Goal relations 41
- Musings on the left periphery in West Germanic 57
- Tense, finiteness and the survive principle 91
- When grammars collide 133
- Using the Survive principle for deriving coordinate (a)symmetries 169
-
Part III. Covert and non-movement operations in Survive-minimalism
- Syntactic identity in Survive-minimalism 195
- Evidence for Survive from covert movement 231
- Language change and survive 257
- Towards a derivational syntax index 267
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Preface ix
-
Part I. Introduction
- Traveling without moving 3
- The numeration in Survive-minimalism 21
-
Part II. Studies of movement phenomena and structure building in Survive-minimalism
- Long-distance agreement without Probe-Goal relations 41
- Musings on the left periphery in West Germanic 57
- Tense, finiteness and the survive principle 91
- When grammars collide 133
- Using the Survive principle for deriving coordinate (a)symmetries 169
-
Part III. Covert and non-movement operations in Survive-minimalism
- Syntactic identity in Survive-minimalism 195
- Evidence for Survive from covert movement 231
- Language change and survive 257
- Towards a derivational syntax index 267
