Extraposition of defocused and light PPs in English
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Edward Göbbel
Abstract
This paper discusses three types of PP extraposition, namely, extraposition in focus-neutral contexts and extraposition of defocused and prosodically deficient PPs. The focus of the paper lies on prosodic properties of defocused and clitical PPs. I argue and discuss evidence that extraposition is phonologically conditioned and occurs at PF. Particularly, extraposition in neutral contexts is a consequence of the interaction of phonological interface constraints that are independently needed for prosodic phrasing. The account of extraposition of defocused PPs exploits the relation between accentuation and focus structure, with the result that defocused constituents are moved into the postnuclear stretch, where they can be completely deaccented. Finally, a constraint requiring exhaustive parsing of postlexical material forces prosodically deficient PPs to either cliticise onto an adjacent prosodic word or move away from it.
Abstract
This paper discusses three types of PP extraposition, namely, extraposition in focus-neutral contexts and extraposition of defocused and prosodically deficient PPs. The focus of the paper lies on prosodic properties of defocused and clitical PPs. I argue and discuss evidence that extraposition is phonologically conditioned and occurs at PF. Particularly, extraposition in neutral contexts is a consequence of the interaction of phonological interface constraints that are independently needed for prosodic phrasing. The account of extraposition of defocused PPs exploits the relation between accentuation and focus structure, with the result that defocused constituents are moved into the postnuclear stretch, where they can be completely deaccented. Finally, a constraint requiring exhaustive parsing of postlexical material forces prosodically deficient PPs to either cliticise onto an adjacent prosodic word or move away from it.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Introduction by the editors 1
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Part I. Empirical perspective
- Constraints on intra- and extraposition 63
- Subclausal locality constraints on relative clause extraposition 99
- Constraints on relative clause extraposition in English 145
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Part II. The Minimalist Perspective
- Rightward movement, EPP and specifiers 175
- Neglected cases of rightward movement 211
- Rightward movement from a different perspective 243
- Cumulative rightward processes 281
-
Part III. Other Theoretical Perspectives
- A dynamic perspective on left-right asymmetries 321
- On the locality of complement clause and relative clause extraposition 369
-
Part IV. The Prosodic Perspective
- Extraposition of defocused and light PPs in English 399
- Prosodic constraints on extraposition in German 439
- Index 473
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Introduction by the editors 1
-
Part I. Empirical perspective
- Constraints on intra- and extraposition 63
- Subclausal locality constraints on relative clause extraposition 99
- Constraints on relative clause extraposition in English 145
-
Part II. The Minimalist Perspective
- Rightward movement, EPP and specifiers 175
- Neglected cases of rightward movement 211
- Rightward movement from a different perspective 243
- Cumulative rightward processes 281
-
Part III. Other Theoretical Perspectives
- A dynamic perspective on left-right asymmetries 321
- On the locality of complement clause and relative clause extraposition 369
-
Part IV. The Prosodic Perspective
- Extraposition of defocused and light PPs in English 399
- Prosodic constraints on extraposition in German 439
- Index 473
