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Final complementizers in hybrid languages

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 1999

JOSEF BAYER
JOSEF BAYER
Affiliation:
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
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Abstract

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Recent developments in syntactic theory suggest that phrase structure is cross-linguistically more uniform than assumed so far, and that the order spec-head-complement may be the only permissible one. The present article takes issue with this view, showing that the derivation of final complementizers from initial ones by means of IP-raising faces serious difficulties. The discussion focuses on Bengali and similar languages which may be called ‘hybrid’ because both orders, IP-C as well as C-IP, are attested. Five arguments are raised which indicate that these orders are not derivationally connected. The discussion bears results which may also be of interest for linguistic typology, language change and acquisition.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Linguistics , Volume 35 , Issue 2 , July 1999 , pp. 233 - 271
Copyright
© 1999 Cambridge University Press

Footnotes

Part of the material in this article has been presented at the 1995 Tilburg Conference on Final Heads. I wish to thank the audience, in particular Riny Huybregts, Hans-Peter Kolb, Masayuki Oishi and Shigeo Tonoike for discussion and for suggestions which improved this article. Thanks also to Jogamaya Bayer, Tanmoy Bhattacharya, Probal Dasgupta, M. T. Hany Babu, Tom Güldemann, Hubert Haider, Jaklin Kornfilt, Marga Reis, Ian Roberts, Joachim Sabel, Rajendra Singh, Peter Suchsland and to two anonymous JL referees for valuable suggestions, help with the language data and literature. Special thanks to Alice Davison for detailed written comments and for her readiness to discuss problems of South Asian syntax with me. Of course, I take the responsibility for any remaining errors.