| ROA: | 413 |
|---|---|
| Title: | Specifiers and Adjuncts |
| Authors: | Alex Zepter |
| Comment: | |
| Length: | 14 |
| Abstract: | Specifiers and Adjuncts Alex Zepter Rutgers University In the system proposed by Grimshaw (1997), Alignment constraints such as Specifier Left, Head Left and Head Right were originally introduced in order to explain typological differences concerning the general directionality of any maximal projection generated in a language. This paper observes that, given obedience to Specifier Left, Specifier Left not only ensures left alignment of the specifier relative to head and complement, but also rejects adjunction of a phrase YP, where the latter takes over the leftmost position within XP. An alternative to YP-adjunction is to provide an additional projection layer above XP hosting YP in its specifier. Such a configuration does not violate Specifier Left, but rather either Obligatory Heads (if the head of the newly introduced layer is empty or absent) or Stay (if the head is filled by verb raising). Acknowledging this constraint conflict, the paper explains the typological variation of 'possible adjunction' vs. 'generalized inversion' at the left clause edge as a consequence of different rankings of the general constraints Specifier Left, Obligatory Heads and Stay. key words: Germanic languages, inversion in the main clause, Verb Second, specifiers, adjuncts |
| Type: | Paper/tech report |
| Area/Keywords: | |
| Article: | Version 1 |