Moving heads to specifiers: Evidence from Mandarin multiple pre-subject modals

Author(s)
Lai, Jackie Yan-Ki; Li, Haoming
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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.
Date issued
2023-08-02
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/153553
Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Linguistics and Philosophy
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
ISSN
0167-806X
1573-0859
Keywords
Linguistics and Language, Language and Linguistics
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