Syntax 3 - Syntax beyond English & The Architecture of Grammar Flashcards
French has V-T movement. Does English? How to tell?
NO.
Behaviour of manner adverbs and negatives.
2 most frequent word order patterns:
SOV & SVO
(followed by ‘no dominant order’, then VSO)
basically we love subject before object.
What is the head parameter?
Whether phrases are ‘head initial’ or ‘head final’ (does the head follow or precede its complement)
French is head initial
Japanese head final.
Harmonic word order?
The higher frequency of languages with
- OV & postpositions
- VO & prepositions
V2 Parameter
If something is occupying spec CP finite verb moves to C.
Is Wh-movement universal?
No in fact Wh-movement doesn’t occur in languages such as Makhuwa.
the different levels of the Y/T model of language?
lexicon (projection principle) D-structure (transformations/movement) S-structure Phonological Form & Logical Form
What is the projection principle?
Information that is stored in the lexicon must be reflected in syntax (at all levels of structure).
So if the lexicon specifies that a verb is transitive (2 obligatory arguments), this must be reflected in all levels of syntax.
What is Deep structure?
Results directly from syntactic representation of lexical information. Represents thematic roles.
What is surface structure?
The syntactic structure after overt movement operations have taken place.
Also obeys projection principle hence the need for traces.
How do passives work (NP movement)
No agent. ‘suppressed’
Theme raised to subject position (spec TP).
grammatical functions are changed but thematic functions are not. Why do we do this, marking important / new info??
Phonological Form:
traces tend not to be realised (except occasional FLA children!)
Logical Form:
syntactic relations such as C-command translated into semantic relations such as scope.
The traces of wh-movement become variables.
Wh-elements take scope over their moved position and bind their variable.
What did peter eat? = What is the x such that Peter ate x.
What is covert movement?
It is movement which occurs between S-structure and logical form.
Even if there is no overt wh-movement, we assume that the LF is still: what is the x such that ……
Covert movement in English?
Quantifiers.
‘somebody read every book on the reading list’
covert movement of either somebody or every book on the reading list.
leads to scope variability.
