Documentation

Linglib.Studies.ElkinsTorrenceBrown2026

Oblique Extraction in Mayan #

[ETB26] [MR21] [Ima20]

Part I: Cross-Linguistic Comparison #

Cross-linguistic comparison of extraction morphology in two Mayan language groups: SJO Mam (=(y)a') and K'ichean (wi). Both mark oblique extraction with a dedicated morpheme, but the underlying mechanisms and distributional properties differ.

Shared Properties #

Parametric Differences #

PropertyMam =(y)a'K'ichean wi
LocusOn probe (Voice⁰)At extraction site
MechanismAgree reflexCopy spellout
Reason obliques ('why')=(y)a' ✓wi
FPG (matrix wi ↔ embedded comp)Does not holdHolds
Conditioned by clause sizeYes (Voice project.)No
Multiple spellout in LDYes (per Voice/Dir)Unclear

Part II: Minimalist Analysis #

Connects three Minimalist abstractions — ClauseSpine, Agree/feature-valuation, and Spellout — to the empirical data on =(y)a' distribution in SJO Mam.

  1. Voice⁰ (and Dir⁰) in Mam carry [uOblique] (an unvalued probe feature).
  2. When an oblique DP undergoes successive-cyclic Ā-movement through Spec,VoiceP, Agree values [uOblique] as [+oblique] on Voice⁰.
  3. At Spellout (PF), [+oblique] on Voice⁰ is realized as =(y)a'.
  4. In infinitival complements, Voice is not projected (VP-sized), so there is no [uOblique] probe — =(y)a' cannot appear.
  5. In long-distance extraction, each Voice⁰/Dir⁰ along the movement path independently Agrees, yielding multiple =(y)a' (one per Voice/Dir).

KEY CONTRAST — Reason obliques ('why'): Mam =(y)a' IS licensed with reason extraction; K'ichean wi is NOT.

Mam =(y)a' is conditioned by clause size (Voice must project); K'ichean wi is conditioned by complementizer presence (FPG).

The FPG holds for K'ichean: matrix wi tracks overt complementizer.

Genuinely different mechanisms producing superficially similar patterns.

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      Mam Voice substrate (Minimalist) #

      This subsection houses the Minimalist VoiceHead, ClauseSpine, and MamDirHead definitions for Mam, formerly in Linglib/Fragments/Mayan/Mam/VoiceSystem.lean. Per CLAUDE.md "Per-language paper-specific apparatus lives in Studies, not Fragments," these belong with the paper that anchors them ([ETB26] for the =(y)a' analysis; [Sco23] for the antipassive). The Fragment file retains only the per-language Mam.VoiceSystem.voices/symmetry defs.

      Studies/Scott2023.lean consumes mamVoice and eqYaVocab from this file via cross-Studies import.

      Mam agentive Voice head with [uOblique] probe.

      In Mam, Voice⁰ probes for an oblique feature on a passing Ā-moved constituent. When an oblique DP moves through Spec,VoiceP, Agree values [uOblique] as [+oblique], which is then spelled out as =(y)a' at PF.

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        Mam aspectless complement spine: VoiceP-sized. Still has Voice → =(y)a' possible.

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          Mam infinitival complement spine: VP-sized. No Voice → =(y)a' impossible.

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            Mam directional auxiliary head (Dir⁰).

            Dir is NOT a universal category — it is specific to Mayan languages. Modeled as a language-specific type rather than added to Cat. In Elkins et al.'s analysis, Dir⁰ occupies V1 position in the verbal template (Voice > V1(Dir) > Appl > V2(root)). Like Voice⁰, Dir⁰ bears [uOblique] and can host =(y)a'.

            • cislocative : Bool

              Cislocative (toward speaker) vs translocative (away).

            • hasUOblique : Bool

              Whether this Dir head carries [uOblique].

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              def ElkinsTorrenceBrown2026.instDecidableEqMamDirHead.decEq (x✝ x✝¹ : MamDirHead) :
              Decidable (x✝ = x✝¹)
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                  Cislocative directional with [uOblique].

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                    Translocative directional with [uOblique].

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                      Vocabulary entry for =(y)a': maps [+oblique] on Voice⁰ to "=(y)a'".

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                        Mam passive Voice head: carries [uOblique] just like agentive Voice. [ETB26] §7.2: =(y)a' co-occurs with passive -njtz.

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                          Mam antipassive Voice head ([Sco23] §2.5.4.1). Subject gets ABS not ERG; not a phase head.

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                            Mam Voice assigns a θ-role (agentive).

                            Cislocative Dir carries [uOblique].

                            Translocative Dir carries [uOblique].

                            Passive and agentive Voice differ in flavor but share the same oblique probe features.

                            Antipassive Voice assigns a θ-role (the agent is present).

                            Antipassive and agentive Voice differ in phase-head status but both assign θ-roles.

                            def ElkinsTorrenceBrown2026.predictEqYa (spine : Minimalist.ClauseSpine) (obliqueExtracted : Bool) (isTemporal : Bool := false) :

                            Predict whether =(y)a' is licensed from a clause spine and extraction type.

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                              Against resumptive-pronoun analysis: =(y)a' is island-sensitive.

                              ClauseSpine is finer than ComplementSize: it can distinguish infinitival (VP) from aspectless (VoiceP).

                              Voice⁰ in Mam carries two independent probes:

                              1. φ-probe [uPerson, uNumber] (analyzed by [Sco23]): Agrees with agent in Spec,VoiceP, yielding Set A morphology.
                              2. Oblique probe [uOblique] (analyzed by [ETB26], this file): Agrees with a passing Ā-moved oblique, yielding =(y)a' on Voice⁰.

                              Both are instances of the same abstract Agree operation: probe searches c-command domain, finds closest matching goal, copies features, and the valued features are spelled out by Vocabulary Insertion. They differ only in which features they probe for and what vocabulary entries match.