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Neglected cases of rightward movement

When wh-phrases and negative quantifiers go to the right
  • Carlo Geraci and Carlo Cecchetto
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Rightward Movement in a Comparative Perspective
This chapter is in the book Rightward Movement in a Comparative Perspective

Abstract

We show that sign languages admit genuine cases of rightward movement in the domain of wh-phrases and negative quantifiers, instantiating the mirror image of spoken languages in which wh-phrases and negative quantifiers overtly move leftward. The pattern emerging from Italian Sign Language (LIS), American Sign Language (ASL) and Indo-Pakistani Sign Language (IPSL) opens intriguing questions concerning the role of language external factors influencing the final shape of languages at the articulatory-perceptual interface. According to the account offered here, language external factors, in accordance with the Processing-to-Grammar Correspondence Hypothesis, actively interact with language specific rules and configurations, determined by the parameters of Universal Grammar.

Abstract

We show that sign languages admit genuine cases of rightward movement in the domain of wh-phrases and negative quantifiers, instantiating the mirror image of spoken languages in which wh-phrases and negative quantifiers overtly move leftward. The pattern emerging from Italian Sign Language (LIS), American Sign Language (ASL) and Indo-Pakistani Sign Language (IPSL) opens intriguing questions concerning the role of language external factors influencing the final shape of languages at the articulatory-perceptual interface. According to the account offered here, language external factors, in accordance with the Processing-to-Grammar Correspondence Hypothesis, actively interact with language specific rules and configurations, determined by the parameters of Universal Grammar.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. Introduction by the editors 1
  4. Part I. Empirical perspective
  5. Constraints on intra- and extraposition 63
  6. Subclausal locality constraints on relative clause extraposition 99
  7. Constraints on relative clause extraposition in English 145
  8. Part II. The Minimalist Perspective
  9. Rightward movement, EPP and specifiers 175
  10. Neglected cases of rightward movement 211
  11. Rightward movement from a different perspective 243
  12. Cumulative rightward processes 281
  13. Part III. Other Theoretical Perspectives
  14. A dynamic perspective on left-right asymmetries 321
  15. On the locality of complement clause and relative clause extraposition 369
  16. Part IV. The Prosodic Perspective
  17. Extraposition of defocused and light PPs in English 399
  18. Prosodic constraints on extraposition in German 439
  19. Index 473
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.200.08ger

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. Introduction by the editors 1
  4. Part I. Empirical perspective
  5. Constraints on intra- and extraposition 63
  6. Subclausal locality constraints on relative clause extraposition 99
  7. Constraints on relative clause extraposition in English 145
  8. Part II. The Minimalist Perspective
  9. Rightward movement, EPP and specifiers 175
  10. Neglected cases of rightward movement 211
  11. Rightward movement from a different perspective 243
  12. Cumulative rightward processes 281
  13. Part III. Other Theoretical Perspectives
  14. A dynamic perspective on left-right asymmetries 321
  15. On the locality of complement clause and relative clause extraposition 369
  16. Part IV. The Prosodic Perspective
  17. Extraposition of defocused and light PPs in English 399
  18. Prosodic constraints on extraposition in German 439
  19. Index 473
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