Moving heads to specifiers: Evidence from Mandarin multiple pre-subject modals
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11049_2023_9579_ReferencePDF.pdf
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Author(s)
Lai, Jackie Yan-Ki
Li, Haoming
Date Issued
August 2, 2023
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Citation
Lai, J.YK., Li, H. Moving heads to specifiers: Evidence from Mandarin multiple pre-subject modals. Nat Lang Linguist Theory 42, 247–272 (2024).
Version
Author's final manuscript
Abstract
Based on a hitherto neglected set of multiple pre-subject modal sentences, this article offers a novel syntactic account of Mandarin modals whereby the derivation of pre-subject modal sentences involves Internal Merge of modals to specifiers of the left-peripheral focus projection, and discusses new problems facing a traditional head-movement analysis and the existing XP-movement accounts. Our proposal lends novel support to recent claims that “true” syntactic head movement targets specifier positions.
Subjects
Linguistics and Language
Language and Linguistics
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Linguistics and Philosophy
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11049-023-09579-0
