It is pointed out that “specifiers” render the algorithm of projection overly complex. This consideration lends support to Starke’s (2004) reanalysis of specifiers as phrasal heads that project their own phrases — which makes phrase structure a simple sequence of head-complement relations. It is further pointed out that if head-complement relations are represented using dominance in place of sisterhood, to reflect the essentially asymmetrical nature of Merge (Chomsky 2000), a non-branching (partially linear) phrase structure tree is obtained that very naturally eliminates labels and projections. A simple Spell-Out rule then provides a linear ordering of the terminal elements. The linear tree preserves all the major results of antisymmetry.

Abstract The paper discusses dative cliticization in Modern Greek in passives and unaccusatives. Based on crosslinguistic evidence, I show that dative cliticization is not implicated in movement operations that violate the Minimal Link Condition ( MLC ). Instead, the observed cliticization patterns exhaustively reduce to the effects of a generalized form of a Doubly Filled Comp Filter. In particular, I show applicative morphemes can be selectively overt also in Indo‐European languages like Greek and that the selective spell‐out of these morphemes positively correlates with the absence of external arguments (Spec, vP ). The discussion posits an incremental spell‐out pattern for complex terminals and highlights the reality of head movement as a syntactic operation. The paper also revisits the claim that clitics constitute a heterogeneous class of items and that their morphosyntactic properties might depend on the transitivity/voice of the hosting predicate.

This paper focuses on the obligatory movement operations that Najdi Arabic (NA) verb forms must undergo to satisfy the morphosyntactic requirements within the minimalist program (MP). Recall that the practice of the MP syntactic theory, including its further advancements, proposed by Chomsky (1995, 2000, 2001) springs from the fact that the grammar of a language starts basically from the lexicon from which suitable words are selected to form clauses. The selected words undergo some syntactic operations such as Merge, by which larger constituents are formed, and Move, by which the formed constituents move to higher positions in the hierarchy to fulfil some specific syntactic purposes. When the elements have undergone the operations of Merge and Move they are spelled out into phonetic forms (PF) and logical forms (LF). In light of this, we argue that NA verbs start out as roots in the head of VP before merging with the vocalic affixes in the head of Tax-AspP to satisfy the subjectverb agreement requirements and mark the aspect features. Perfective verb forms must then continue to move to T to merge with the past tense abstract features while imperfective forms stay in Tax-AspP. The thematic subject is generated in Spec,VP; it may stay there to derive the VSO order, or move higher to derive the SVO order. The findings show that obligatory movements indicate interactions between the functional categories of TP, Tax-AspP and VP: NA verbal roots obligatorily move to Tax-Asp to derive (im)perfective forms; perfectives obligatorily move to T.

This paper examines issues related to strong features and weak features in head movement which involves a comparison between Modern Standard English (MSE) and Early Modern English (EME) which have experienced the process of language evolution. The difference can be seen in the movement of non-auxiliary verbs (nonauxiliary) limited (finite) that move to the INFL position in the two English grammars. Thus, the analysis of grammar in these two phases of the English language is analyzed according to the Minimalist Program approach in line with the latest development of Generative Transformation (TG) theory. Therefore, this paper aims to describe the process of head movement of nonauxiliary verbs that are limited (finite) to the INFL position in both phases of English grammar development in addition to solving the issues. The findings of the study or the results of the analysis show that in Early Modern English (EME) grammar, nonauxiliary verbs that are limited (finite) move to the INFL position due to the compatibility of strong features brought by the limited verbs (finite). This is proven again by using the power of metaphor proposed by Chomsky. Next, the analysis of findings also found that only verbs that represent the compatibility of strong features (strong features) that match can move to the INFL position, and vice versa for verbs that represent the compatibility of weak features (weak features) that are very weak to move to the INFL position. Among other issues highlighted in this article is also the subject-verb compatibility aspect which involves the relationship between INFL and specifier.

assumed that the LF branch of the derivation still has access to syntactic operations and that, therefore, movement can occur after Spell Out (leading to In linguistics, the minimalist program is a major line of inquiry that has been developing inside generative grammar since the early 1990s, starting with a 1993 paper by Noam Chomsky. Following Imre Lakatos's distinction, Chomsky presents minimalism as a program, understood as a mode of inquiry that provides a conceptual framework which guides the development of linguistic theory. As such, it is c the elimination of the distinction between deep… In one formulation common in early versions of Minimalist theory, a distinction is made between so-called strong and weak features. Strong features (sometimes notated with the * diacritic) are not legitimate objects at the PF interface and so must be checked before Spell Out. Weak features, however, are not visible at PF and need not be checked before Spell Out. In this original formulation, feature checking occurs locally. A feature [f*] on a head X must be checked by merging another element bearing feature [F] as a specifier of X. This mechanism can be used to explain subject movement. If one assumes that nominals are introduced from the lexicon bearing Case features, then those features must be checked against heads bearing matching Case features. If T bears a strong [nom*] feature, then a D bearing a [nom] case feature must move to the specifier of T to check this feature. A similar approach can be taken for wh-movement. In this case, one assumes there is a strong [wh*] feature on C. Another element bearing a [wh] feature must move to C in order to check the strong feature on C before Spell Out. Under this view weak features must still be checked before arriving at the LF interface. It is assumed that the LF branch of the derivation still has access to syntactic operations and that, therefore, movement can occur after Spell Out (leading to so-called covert movement that is not phonologically visible). Movement that is not necessary to satisfy PF interface conditions does not occur before Spell Out due to an economy condition called Procrastinate, which requires operations to wait as long as possible before they occur. Later approaches to syntactic features introduce the notion of feature interpretability and integrate feature valuation with the operation Agree, discussed below. The introduction of Agree obviates the need to check features via movement. Instead, a generalized EPP feature or diacritic requires movement of elements into the specifiers of various heads. Nonetheless, the core idea that movement must occur to satisfy interface conditions remains at the core of movement under Minimalist theorizing. {…

Wh-question has aroused considerable attention of linguists around the world. English is a wh-movement language, while Chinese is commonly recognized as a wh-in-situ language. By the advent of the Minimalist Program outlined by Chomsky, the syntactic derivation in a phase-based approach has reduced the computational operation. The syntactic structures are built in a bottom-up and one-phase-at-a-time way. Merge and Agree are the most basic syntactic operations. The paper presents how Phase Theory works and clarifies a computational model of generation of wh-questions. This model accounts for how the uninterpretable [WH] feature of wh-phrases is checked and deleted and when phrases are sent to Spell-Out. The paper tries to explore the similarity and difference of nominal wh-words between English and Chinese in matrix and embedded wh-questions, which will help provide further evidence of the power of universal grammar, and the usefulness of the approach to syntactic operation of other languages.

... Spell-out that contains it has not been shipped off to PF (Phase Impenetrability Condition or PIC; Chomsky 1999 ... movement. (Thoms. 2011). A last licensing account I introduce here is quite different from the previous ones in that ... This Handbook represents the development of research and the current level of knowledge in the fields of syntactic theory and syntax analysis. Syntax can look back to a long tradition. Especially in the last 50 years, however, the interaction between syntactic theory and syntactic analysis has led to a rapid increase in analyses and theoretical suggestions. This second edition of the Handbook on Syntax adopts a unifying perspective and therefore does not place the division of syntactic theory into several schools to the fore, but the increase in knowledge resulting from the fruitful argumentations between syntactic analysis and syntactic theory. It uses selected phenomena of individual languages and their cross-linguistic realizations to explain what syntactic analyses can do and at the sa