scholarly journals Notes on cartography and further explanation

Probus ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luigi Rizzi
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Left Periphery ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Functional Sequence

Abstract This article addresses one particular aspect of the cartographic enterprise, the cartographic study of the left periphery of the clause, the system of criteria, and the “syntacticisation” of scope-discourse semantics that rich and detailed syntactic maps make possible. I will compare this theoretical option with the conceivable alternative, the “pragmaticization” of a radically impoverished syntax, and will discuss some simple kinds of empirical evidence bearing on the choice between these alternative perspectives. I will then turn to the issue of whether the properties of the functional sequence (ordering, cooccurrence restrictions) are amenable to “further explanations” in terms of more basic principles constraining linguistic computations. I will argue that the search for deeper explanations is an integral part of the cartographic endeavour: it presupposes the establishment of reliable maps, and nourishes the pursuit of further cartographic questions. I will conclude by illustrating the issue of further explanation by comparing certain properties of topicalization in English and Italian, in particular the fact that DP topics are fundamentally unique in English, while they can be freely reiterated in Italian. This pattern can be plausibly traced back to intervention locality, once certain independent properties distinguishing Italian and English topicalization are taken into account.

scholarly journals Subject marking in Awing

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-115
Author(s):  
Henry Zamchang Fominyam ◽  
Doreen Georgi
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Left Periphery ◽  
Syntactic Features ◽  
Grassfields Bantu ◽  
The Subject

This paper investigates the principles that govern subject marking in Awing (Grassfields Bantu). We observe that the subject marker (SM) that doubles the subject is sometimes obligatory, sometimes optional and sometimes prohibited. We argue that it is the referentiality of the subject that controls the distribution of the SM in Awing, rather than factors such as its morpho-syntactic features or its information structural status, which have been identified to govern argument doubling in a number of other languages with a similar phenomenon. The empirical evidence leads us to conclude that the SM is a pronominal element in Awing rather than an agreement marker. When it occurs, it functions as the argument of the verb and the associated subject NP is base-generated in the left periphery of the clause; when it is absent, the NP is the verbal argument. Awing thus qualifies as a pronominal argument language in the sense of Jelinek (1984); Bresnan and Mchombo (1987); Baker (1996).

Reducing pro and PRO to a single source

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 463-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas McFadden ◽  
Sandhya Sundaresan
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
The Other ◽  
Left Periphery ◽  
Single Source ◽  
Null Subjects ◽  
Obligatory Control ◽  
Structural Environment ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Contextual Elements ◽  
Specific Interpretation

Abstract The goal of this paper is to provide novel theoretical and empirical evidence that the null subjects traditionally labelled as pro and pro, rather than being inherently distinct, are manifestations, differentiated in the course of the derivation, of what is underlyingly a single underspecified nominal pro-form, which we will call UPro. Included under this UPro are pro, oc pro and also the various types of ‘non-obligatory control’ (noc) pro, including arbitrary pro (proarb). The interpretive and distributional distinctions lurking behind these labels result from how UPro interacts with its structural environment and language-specific rules of morpho-phonological realization. Specifically, oc pro labels a rather specific interpretation that arises in embedding contexts where a syntactic oc relationship with an antecedent can be established. Different types of pro and noc pro, on the other hand, involve ‘control’ by (typically) silent representations of discourse-contextual elements in the clausal left periphery. Finally, pro$_{arb}$ arguably involves the failure to establish a referential dependence, which we will formalize in terms of a failure to Agree in the sense of Preminger (2014). Crucial evidence motivating the approach proposed here will be adduced from Sundaresan’s (2014) “Finiteness pro-drop Generalisation”, which reveals an otherwise unexpected complementarity of oc pro and pro.

The movement analysis of temporal adverbial clauses

2009 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
LILIANE HAEGEMAN
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Movement Analysis ◽  
Main Clause ◽  
Left Periphery ◽  
Adverbial Clauses ◽  
Locative Inversion ◽  
Temporal Adverbial

In the literature it has been proposed that temporal adverbial clauses can be derived by wh-movement of an operator (e.g. when) to the left periphery (Geis 1970, 1975; Enç 1987: 655; Larson 1987, 1990; Dubinsky & Williams 1995; Declerck 1997; Demirdache & Uribe-Etxebarria 2004: 165–70). After reviewing the arguments that have been proposed in favour of such a movement analysis, the article provides additional empirical evidence in support of the analysis. The data concern so-called Main Clause Phenomena (MCP) or Root phenomena, that is, syntactic phenomena such as argument fronting, Locative Inversion, preposing around be, VP preposing and Negative Inversion, which in English are by and large restricted to main clauses. The unavailability of these MCP in temporal adverbial clauses follows directly from the movement account. The movement analysis will be extended to conditional clauses and factive clauses.

scholarly journals Two scrambling strategies in German: Evidence from PPs

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivona Kucerova
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Title Page ◽  
Left Periphery

<div class="page" title="Page 1"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span>We argue that scrambling to the middle field in German does not form a syntactically homogeneous class. Instead, there are two distinct types of movement involved: (i) feature-triggered movement typically targeting the left periphery (Rizzi, 1997; Miyagawa, 1997, a.o.), i.e., movement which is determined within syntax proper; and (ii) semantically licensed, and competition based type of movement (Reinhart, 1995, 2006; Fox, 2000; Kucerová, 2007, 2012), determined at the syntax- semantics interface. The empirical evidence comes from scrambling of definite PPs in German. </span></p></div></div></div>

Reconsidering the syntax of non-canonical negative inversion

2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 429-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
JESSICA WHITE-SUSTAITA
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Word Order ◽  
Left Periphery ◽  
Existential Analysis ◽  
Existential Meaning ◽  
Existential Constructions ◽  
Inversion Analysis ◽  
The Relationship

Two main hypotheses have been proposed to account for the word order of negative inversion (NI) in varieties of non-canonical English (e.g.Don't nobody else care). An auxiliary inversion analysis argues that the word order is derived via movement of the auxiliary to the left periphery, whereas an existential analysis argues that the word order is an artifact of deletion of the expletive subject, parallelingthere-insertion existential constructions. After reviewing these hypotheses, I provide empirical evidence that neither of these theories adequately explains the peculiarities of NI. I advance a third hypothesis, namely that NI is the result of negative movement to the specifier of NegP, and that this movement is pragmatically motivated by an existential meaning in NI constructions. Syntactically, NI is made possible through the Neg-Criterion (Haegeman & Zanuttini 1991, 1996). This analysis explains problems encountered by prior analyses, and offers a unified analysis for variation in NI across dialects. Finally, I explain cross-dialectal differences in NI by considering the relationship between subject requirements and agreement.

scholarly journals Selfless Assertions: Some Empirical Evidence

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Turri
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Mental State ◽  
Thought Experiments ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Knowledge Account ◽  
General Lesson

It is increasingly recognized that knowledge is the norm of assertion. As this view has gained popularity, it has also garnered criticism. One widely discussed criticism involves thought experiments about “selfless assertion.” Selfless assertions are said to be intuitively compelling examples where agents should assert propositions that they don’t even believe and, hence, don’t know. This result is then taken to show that knowledge is not the norm of assertion. This paper reports four experiments demonstrating that “selfless assertors” are viewed as both believing and knowing the propositions they assert: this is the natural and intuitive way of interpreting the case. Thought experiments about selfless assertions do not threaten the knowledge account and they do not motivate weaker alternative accounts. The discussion also highlights a general lesson for philosophers: thought experiments intended to probe for mental state attributions should not conflict with basic principles that guide social cognition.

Challenges to the social motivation theory of autism: The dangers of counteracting an imprecise theory with even more imprecision

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirko Uljarević ◽  
Giacomo Vivanti ◽  
Susan R. Leekam ◽  
Antonio Y. Hardan
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Social Motivation ◽  
Motivation Theory ◽  
The Social

Abstract The arguments offered by Jaswal & Akhtar to counter the social motivation theory (SMT) do not appear to be directly related to the SMT tenets and predictions, seem to not be empirically testable, and are inconsistent with empirical evidence. To evaluate the merits and shortcomings of the SMT and identify scientifically testable alternatives, advances are needed on the conceptualization and operationalization of social motivation across diagnostic boundaries.

Integrating perspectives: How the development of second-personal competence lays the foundation for a second-personal morality

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Corbit ◽  
Chris Moore
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Developmental Process ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Personal Information ◽  
Personal Competence ◽  
Triadic Interactions ◽  
Personal Morality ◽  
Integrative Process

Abstract The integration of first-, second-, and third-personal information within joint intentional collaboration provides the foundation for broad-based second-personal morality. We offer two additions to this framework: a description of the developmental process through which second-personal competence emerges from early triadic interactions, and empirical evidence that collaboration with a concrete goal may provide an essential focal point for this integrative process.

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