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Course Description:
In this seminar, we will explore symmetry in syntax from a generative perspective. While there has been a lot of attention in the literature on asymmetric and antisymmetric aspects of syntactic structure, symmetric aspects have been largely ignored, or claimed to be outright non-existent. This begs the question of how symmetric syntax really is, and if the answer is yes, how to account for the symmetry in syntax. To tackle these questions, we will look at constructions that at various times have been analyzed as symmetric (coordination), languages that at various times have been analyzed as being inherently more symmetric than English (so-called nonconfigurational languages), syntactic operations that at various times have been analyzed as symmetry (or shape) preserving (symmetric passives, object shift and Holmberg’s Generalization, multiple wh-fronting), and symmetries between various pieces of syntactic structure (DPs and CPs, or phases in general)
Requirements:
Weekly readings and active participation: 20% 2 Class Presentations: 40% (a short one in Week VII, and a longer one in Week X) Final Paper: 40% (due during the finals week)
Prerequisites: LING 508 (or the equivalent), or permission of the instructor
Course Outline:
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Winter 2007 LING 580: Symmetry in Syntax? |
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Week |
Topic(s) |
Reading(s) (readings marked with an asterisk are optional) The links are to papers freely available on the web. |
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I |
Course Overview Necessary Background on Recent Minimalism |
Chomsky, N. 2001. Beyond Explanatory Adequacy. In MIT Occasional Papers in Linguistics 20. Cambridge, MA: MITWPL, pp. 1-18. * Chomsky, 1993. Bare Phrase Structure. |
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II |
Antisymmetry and Dynamic Antisymmetry |
Kayne, R. 1994. The Antisymmetry of Syntax, pp. 3-32. Moro, A. 2000. Dynamic Antisymmetry, pp. 15-49 Chomsky, N. 1995. The Minimalist Program, pp.335-340. |
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III |
Symmetric Constructions? |
Progovac, L. 1998. Structure for Coordination. Part I and II. GLOT International 3.7-8. Zwart, J-W. 2005. Some notes on coordination in head final languages. * Haspelmath, M. 2000. Coordination. In T. Shopen (ed.) Language typology and linguistic description. 2nd ed. Cambridge: CUP |
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IV |
DP/CP Symmetry |
Hiraiwa, Ken. 2005. Symmetry in Syntax. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. Chapters 1 and 3. |
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V |
Symmetric Languages? (Nonconfigurationality Parameter)
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* Hale, K. 1983. Warlpiri and the grammar of non-configurational languages. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 1, 5-47. Legate, J. 2003 Reconstructing Nonconfigurationality. In Selected Papers from the Asymmetry Conference, John Benjamins |
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VI |
Movement as Symmetry Preservation Part I |
Fox and Pesetsky, 2004. Cyclic Linearization of Syntactic Structure. Theoretical Linguistics 31.1-2, 1-46. * Ko, H. 2005. Asymmetries in Scrambling and Cyclic Linearization, ms., SUNY-Stony Brook. |
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VII |
Responses to Fox and Pesetsky
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Fox, D. and D. Pesetsky. 2004. Reply to the responses. Theoretical Linguistics 31.1-2, 235-262.
And ONE paper from the following list (all in Theoretical Linguistics 31. 1-2):
Anagnostopoulou, Elena 2004. Holmberg’s Generalization and Cyclic Linearization. Remarks on Fox and Pesetsky Bobaljik, J. 2004. Re: CycLin and the role of PF in Object Shift Diesing, M. 2004. Some Remarks on Fox and Pesetsky: ‘‘Cyclic Linearization of Syntactic Structure’’ Holmberg, A. 2004. Linearization in two ways. Müller, G. 2004. Remarks on cyclic linearization and order Preservation. Nilsen, Ø. 2004. Some notes on cyclic linearization. Sells, P. 2004. Comments on Object Shift and Cyclic Linearization Surányi, B. 2004. Object Shift and linearization at the PF interface. Svenonius, P. 2004. How Phonological is Object Shift? Williams, E. 2004. A Note on ‘‘Cyclic Linearization’’ |
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VIII |
Movement as Symmetry Preservation Part II |
Williams, E. 2003. Representation Theory. Chapters 1 and 6. * Richards, M. 2004. Object Shift and Scrambling in North and West Germanic: A Case Study in Symmetrical Syntax. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Cambridge. Chapters 1 and 2. |
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IX |
Symmetric Labeling |
Citko, B. 2006. Missing Labels. Unpublished manuscript
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X |
Student Presentations |
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