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« William Snyder in the Learning Seminar | Main | Joe Pater Colloquium»

Eric Potsdam in Syntax Reading Group

Eric Potsdam
University of Florida (and current UMass Amherst visitor)

Backward control in Malagasy and selective copy pronunciation

Thursday, November 8, 8:00 pm, Amy Rose's place

Backward Control in Malagasy and Selective Copy Pronunciation
Eric Potsdam, University of Florida

Forward control is an obligatory interpretational dependency between an overt NP and a non-overt NP in which the overt NP is structurally higher, as in English and many other languages: Kim persuaded Sandyi [Δi to give up]. It contrasts with backward control in which the non-overt NP is structurally higher, as in the hypothetical Kim persuaded Δi [Sandyi to give up]. Although backward control has been previously documented, clear cases are rare. This talk presents an alternation between forward and backward object control in the Austronesian language Malagasy. It then offers an analysis which relies on a movement theory of control (MTC, Hornstein 1999), the copy theory of movement (Chomsky 1993), and principles of selective copy pronunciation (SCP, e.g. Nunes 2004). The Malagasy alternation arises because either copy of the movement chain can be pronounced. When the higher copy is pronounced, forward control results. When the lower copy is pronounced, backward control results. The paper concludes with an account of the typology of possible control relations predicted by the MTC in conjunction with SCP: constructions which allow only forward control (English object control), constructions which allow only backward control (Japanese tokoro-clauses), and constructions which allow either (Malagasy object control).

Suggested Readings

Malagasy clause structure

Guilfoyle, Eithne, Henrietta Hung, and Lisa Travis. 1992. Spec of IP and Spec of VP: Two subjects in Austronesian languages. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 10, 375-414.

Pearson, Matthew. 2005. The Malagasy subject/topic as an A' element. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 23, 381-457.

Backward control

Polinsky, Maria, and Eric Potsdam. 2002. Backward control. Linguistic Inquiry 33: 245-282.

Chain Reduction

Nunes, Jairo. 2004. Linearization of Chains and Sideward Movement. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.

November 8, 2007 12:13 AM | 05:30 (2007-11-08) , syntax reading group , visiting scholars