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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