When Arguments Merge

A novel theory of argument structure based on the order in which verbs and their arguments combine across a variety of languages and language families. Merge is the structure-building operation in Chomsky’s Minimalist Program. In Newman’s novel approach to argument structure is based on the time at which different kinds of arguments merge and move in the verbal domain. Assuming that all kinds of Merge are driven by features, she proposes that subset relationships between elements bearing different sets of features can constrain the distribution of arguments in unexpected ways and that different feature bundles can predict unusual interactions between arguments in many contexts. The positions of arguments in different contexts have consequences for agreement alignment and case assignment, which are reflected in the Voice of the clause. Examining the order in which verbs and their arguments are combined, she explores the consequences of different orders of combination for the kinds of utterances observed across languages.

Product details

• Authors: Elise Newman
• Publisher: The MIT Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 15.10.2024
• EAN: 9780262549103
• ISBN: 978-0-262-54910-3
• No. of pages: 230
• Dimensions: 152 mm x 229 mm x 17 mm
• Series: Linguistic Inquiry Monographs
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > Dictionaries, reference works > Foreign-language dictionaries; Linguistics, PHILOSOPHY / Language, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / General, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / Syntax, Language: reference & general