The Grammar of Repetition: Nupe grammar at the syntax-phonology interface (Linguistik Aktuell Linguistics Today)

190 Pages·2008·2.95 MB·English

by  Jason Kandybowicz

The Grammar of Repetition
Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today (LA)
Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today (LA) provides a platform for original monograph
studies into synchronic and diachronic linguistics. Studies in LA confront empirical
and theoretical problems as these are currently discussed in syntax, semantics,
morphology, phonology, and systematic pragmatics with the aim to establish robust
empirical generalizations within a universalistic perspective.
General Editors
Werner Abraham Elly van Gelderen
University of Vienna / Rijksuniversiteit Arizona State University
Groningen
Advisory Editorial Board
Cedric Boeckx Christer Platzack
Harvard University University of Lund
Guglielmo Cinque Ian Roberts
University of Venice Cambridge University
Günther Grewendorf Lisa deMena Travis
J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt McGill University
Liliane Haegeman Sten Vikner
University of Lille, France University of Aarhus
Hubert Haider C. Jan-Wouter Zwart
University of Salzburg University of Groningen
Volume 136
The Grammar of Repetition : Nupe grammar at the syntax–phonology interface
by Jason Kandybowicz
The Grammar of Repetition
Nupe grammar at the syntax–phonology interface
Jason Kandybowicz
Swarthmore College
John Benjamins Publishing Company
Amsterdam / Philadelphia
TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
8
American National Standard for Information Sciences – Permanence of
Paper for Printed Library Materials, ansi z39.48-1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kandybowicz, Jason.
The grammar of repetition : Nupe grammar at the syntax phonology interface / Jason
Kandybowicz.
p. cm. (Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today, issn 0166-0829 ; v. 136)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Nupe language--Grammar. I. Title.
PL8577.1.K36 2008
496'.33--dc22 2008034286
isbn 978 90 272 5519 8 (Hb; alk. paper)
© 2008 – John Benjamins B.V.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any
other means, without written permission from the publisher.
John Benjamins Publishing Co. · P.O. Box 36224 · 1020 me Amsterdam · The Netherlands
John Benjamins North America · P.O. Box 27519 · Philadelphia pa 19118-0519 · usa
For Ahmadu Ndanusa Kawu.
None of this would have been possible without him.

Table of contents
Preface xi
List of abbreviations xiii
chapter 1
Overview and orientation 1
1.1 Movement operations in generative grammar 1
1.1.1 Substitution 2
1.1.2 Trace theory 2
1.1.3 Copy theory 3
1.1.3.1 Multiple copy spell-out 4
1.1.3.2 The focus and contribution of this book 7
1.2. Theoretical background and assumptions 8
1.2.1 The Minimalist Program 8
1.2.2 Distributed Morphology 10
1.2.3 Theories of chain resolution/linearization 12
1.3 Organization of the book 15
1.3.1 Chapter 2: Prefatory remarks on Nupe grammar 15
1.3.2 Chapter 3: Repetition via morphophonological conditioning 16
1.3.3 Chapter 4: Repetition via parallel chain formation 16
1.3.4 Chapter 5: Repetition via prosodic conditioning 17
1.3.5 Chapter 6: Repetition and beyond 17
chapter 2
Prefatory remarks on Nupe grammar 19
2.1 Language background and preliminaries 19
2.2 Directionality and the middle field of the clause 21
2.2.1 Nupe phrase structure: Head-initial, head-final, or both? 21
2.2.2 Against a head-final approach to Nupe directionality 23
2.2.3 Head-initial Nupe verb phrases and their structure 26
2.2.4 From verb phrase directionality to Nupe word order 30
iii The Grammar of Repetition
2.3 The C layer 31
2.3.1 Rudiments of the Nupe left periphery 31
2.3.2 Left peripheral adverbs 39
2.3.3 Embedded clauses 43
chapter 3
Bare root verbal repetition: Repetition via morphophonological conditioning 47
3.1 Setting the stage 47
3.2 Initial considerations 50
3.2.1 Descriptive preliminaries 50
3.2.2 Derivational status 52
3.3 Analysis 59
3.3.1 BRVRCs in the narrow syntax 59
3.3.1.1 Assembling the ingredients 59
3.3.1.2 Putting the ingredients together 65
3.3.2 BRVRCs at the syntax-phonology interface 66
3.3.2.1 Spell-out of the lower copy 67
3.3.2.2 Spell-out of the higher copy 73
3.3.2.3 Linearization 75
3.4 Summary and concluding remarks 77
chapter 4
Predicate cleft: Repetition via parallel chain formation 79
4.1 An overview of sorts 79
4.2 Core properties of Nupe PCCs 82
4.2.1 Basic observations 82
4.2.2 Duality of movement 83
4.2.3 Nominalization and category conversion 87
4.2.4 Semantic properties 91
4.2.5 Interim summary 93
4.3 Analysis and derivation 93
4.3.1 Against an independent-generation analysis of Nupe PCCs 94
4.3.1.1 Against PCCs as left dislocation constructions 95
4.3.1.2 Against independently generated VP structures as inputs 97
4.3.1.2.1 Movement of a cognate object 98
4.3.1.2.2 Movement of a low verbal copy 100
4.3.2 Against a phrasal movement analysis 104
4.3.3 The derivation of Nupe PCCs 106
4.3.3.1 The bi-locational realization of √  106
4.3.3.2 The source of the peripheral root’s nominal features 110