scholarly journals Focus association into copies and the scope of even

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 855
Author(s):  
Michael Yoshitaka Erlewine
Keyword(s):  
Copy Theory Of Movement ◽  
Copy Theory ◽  
Movement Trace ◽  
Focus Association

Nakanishi 2012 presents a novel argument for the so-called “scope theory” of English VP-even, based on examples with antecedent-contained deletion (ACD). Nakanishi’s argument is based on the assumption that even cannot associate with a focus which has moved out of its scope. I show that this assumption is incorrect, defusing Nakanishi’s argument. I propose that when even associates with a focus which has moved out of its scope, it actually associates with focused material in the lower copies of movement (trace positions). I show that a closer look at ACD examples of Nakanishi’s type in fact forms a new argument against the scope theory. I conclude that English VP-even must always be interpreted in its pronounced position. The patterns of focus association with even presented here constitute a new argument for the copy theory of movement. 

Sideward Movement

2001 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jairo Nunes
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Model ◽  
General Framework ◽  
Minimalist Program ◽  
Crucial Aspect ◽  
Computational System ◽  
Copy Theory Of Movement ◽  
Copy Theory ◽  
Primitive Operation ◽  
Chain Links

Assuming the general framework of the Minimalist Program of Chomsky 1995, this article argues that Move is not a primitive operation of the computational system, but rather the output of the interaction among the independent operations Copy, Merge, Form Chain, and Chain Reduction (deletion of chain links for purposes of linearization). The crucial aspect of this alternative model is that it permits constrained instances of sideward movement, whereby a given constituent “moves” from a syntactic object K to an independent syntactic object L. This version of the copy theory of movement (a) provides an explanation for why (some) traces must be deleted in the phonological component, (b) provides a cyclic analysis for standard instances of noncyclic movement, and (c) accounts for the main properties of parasitic gap and across-the-board extraction constructions.

scholarly journals ‘Verb floating’ and VP-ellipsis

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 252-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Thoms
Keyword(s):  
Repair Operation ◽  
Copy Theory Of Movement ◽  
Vp Ellipsis ◽  
Copy Theory ◽  
Lower Copy ◽  
General Conditions

In this paper I propose that ellipsis is licensed by overt movement. Examining variation in VP-ellipsis across English dialects, I show that movement is crucially implicated in whether or not a given element can license ellipsis. I discuss well-known restrictions on VP-ellipsis and present new data that shows that a movement-based account of these restrictions is superior to previous ones. I show that the proposed account can be extended to other cases involving A′ movement with empirical benefits, and I conclude by sketching the technical implementation of the theory, arguing that ellipsis is a ‘repair’ operation that prevents a linearization failure following non-deletion of a lower copy. I suggest that types of movement that are unable to spell out lower copies (i.e. A-movement) do not license ellipsis, thus explaining ellipsis licensing in terms of general conditions on copy deletion. Keywords: ellipsis licensing; VP-ellipsis; sluicing; Copy Theory of Movement; A/A′-distinction

The verb doubling construction in Japanese

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuji Hatakeyama ◽  
Kensuke Honda ◽  
Kosuke Tanaka
Keyword(s):  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Copy Theory Of Movement ◽  
Copy Theory ◽  
Doubling Construction ◽  
Verb Tense ◽  
Verb Doubling

AbstractJapanese has expressions such as Basu-ga ki-ta ki-ta ‘A bus has finally come,’ where the verb-tense complex (ki-ta ‘came’ in this example) is doubled. This paper concentrates on these kinds of expressions, calling them the verb doubling construction (henceforth the VDC). The aim of this paper is to investigate the syntactic structure of the VDC in Japanese. Providing five pieces of evidence that the repeated verb-tense complex occupies the head of CP, we claim that the VDC constitutes a CP structure. We further point out that the analysis proposed here strongly supports the copy theory of movement (Chomsky, 1993).

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