Chomsky (2013): Problems of projection

[Cho13] replaces projection by a labeling algorithm, minimal search for the head of a syntactic object (Minimalist.SyntacticObject.label). A head merged with a phrase labels the result; two phrases do not, unless one of them raises, its lower copy being invisible to the search, or their heads share an agreed feature. Raising for labeling reinterprets [Mor00]'s dynamic antisymmetry: the small clause of a copular sentence (18) is two phrases and is labeled only once one of them raises, and the verb phrase with its external argument (17) is labeled v only once that argument raises out of it, which forces the EPP. The intermediate landing sites of successive-cyclic movement are the most general case: a wh-phrase in the specifier of an embedded declarative CP leaves it unlabeled, barring (21), and moving on leaves its lower copy, so the CP is labeled and the verb above selects it.

Implementation notes

• A clause is represented before its surface subject is merged, {T, XP}, labeled T: the paper argues that the C–T relation is established at that point, before the subject is introduced (the discussion of (16)–(17)). The subject and its sister are two phrases, labeled by the φ-features they share, which is not formalized.
• The wh-phrase of (21) is an adjunct; its base position is left out.

TODO

The labeling of the indirect question (22) by the interrogative feature its two phrases share, and of the case of (17) where the internal argument raises and the external argument stays, labeled v because only the external argument and the raised verb are visible, need Agree and head movement.

References

• [Cho13]
• [Mor00]

def Chomsky2013.tok (id : ℕ) (cat : Minimalist.Cat) (sel : Minimalist.SelStack := []) (phon : String := "") (wh : Bool := false) : Minimalist.LexicalItem.Token

A token of the examples.

Equations

• Chomsky2013.tok id cat sel phon wh = { item := Minimalist.LexicalItem.of cat sel phon wh, id := id }

Copular small clauses (18)

def Chomsky2013.be : Minimalist.LexicalItem.Token

Equations

• Chomsky2013.be = Chomsky2013.tok 0 Minimalist.Cat.V [Minimalist.Cat.D] "be"

def Chomsky2013.lightning : Minimalist.LexicalItem.Token

Equations

• Chomsky2013.lightning = Chomsky2013.tok 1 Minimalist.Cat.D [] "lightning"

def Chomsky2013.the : Minimalist.LexicalItem.Token

Equations

• Chomsky2013.the = Chomsky2013.tok 2 Minimalist.Cat.D [Minimalist.Cat.N] "the"

def Chomsky2013.cause : Minimalist.LexicalItem.Token

Equations

• Chomsky2013.cause = Chomsky2013.tok 3 Minimalist.Cat.N [] "cause"

def Chomsky2013.smallClause : Minimalist.PlanarSyntacticObject

The small clause [lightning, the cause of the fire], two phrases.

Equations

• Chomsky2013.smallClause = ↑Chomsky2013.lightning * (↑Chomsky2013.the * ↑Chomsky2013.cause)

def Chomsky2013.smallClauseRaised : Minimalist.PlanarSyntacticObject

The small clause after lightning has raised out of it, leaving its lower copy.

Equations

• Chomsky2013.smallClauseRaised = Minimalist.PlanarSyntacticObject.traceOf Chomsky2013.lightning * (↑Chomsky2013.the * ↑Chomsky2013.cause)

theorem Chomsky2013.smallClause_label_eq_none : (↑smallClause).label = none ∧ (↑(↑be * smallClause)).label = none

(18): the small clause is unlabeled, so the copula cannot select it.

theorem Chomsky2013.smallClauseRaised_label : (↑smallClauseRaised).label = some the ∧ (↑(↑be * smallClauseRaised)).label = some be

(18): once one term raises, the other labels the small clause, and the copula selects it.

The external argument and the EPP (17)

def Chomsky2013.t : Minimalist.LexicalItem.Token

Equations

• Chomsky2013.t = Chomsky2013.tok 4 Minimalist.Cat.T [Minimalist.Cat.v]

def Chomsky2013.v : Minimalist.LexicalItem.Token

Equations

• Chomsky2013.v = Chomsky2013.tok 5 Minimalist.Cat.v [Minimalist.Cat.V]

def Chomsky2013.see : Minimalist.LexicalItem.Token

Equations

• Chomsky2013.see = Chomsky2013.tok 6 Minimalist.Cat.V [Minimalist.Cat.D] "see"

def Chomsky2013.ea : Minimalist.LexicalItem.Token

Equations

• Chomsky2013.ea = Chomsky2013.tok 7 Minimalist.Cat.D [] "John"

def Chomsky2013.ia : Minimalist.LexicalItem.Token

Equations

• Chomsky2013.ia = Chomsky2013.tok 8 Minimalist.Cat.D [] "Bill"

def Chomsky2013.vP : Minimalist.PlanarSyntacticObject

The verb phrase v [see Bill].

Equations

• Chomsky2013.vP = ↑Chomsky2013.v * (↑Chomsky2013.see * ↑Chomsky2013.ia)

theorem Chomsky2013.beta_label_eq_none : (↑(↑ea * vP)).label = none

(17): the external argument and the verb phrase are two phrases, so β is unlabeled.

theorem Chomsky2013.beta_label_of_raising : (↑(Minimalist.PlanarSyntacticObject.traceOf ea * vP)).label = some v ∧ (↑(↑t * (Minimalist.PlanarSyntacticObject.traceOf ea * vP))).label = some t

(17): once the external argument raises, β is labeled v and T selects it, so the EPP is forced.

Successive-cyclic movement (21)

def Chomsky2013.thought : Minimalist.LexicalItem.Token

Equations

• Chomsky2013.thought = Chomsky2013.tok 9 Minimalist.Cat.V [Minimalist.Cat.C] "thought"

def Chomsky2013.whichCity : Minimalist.LexicalItem.Token

Equations

• Chomsky2013.whichCity = Chomsky2013.tok 10 Minimalist.Cat.P [] "in which Texas city" true

def Chomsky2013.c : Minimalist.LexicalItem.Token

Equations

• Chomsky2013.c = Chomsky2013.tok 11 Minimalist.Cat.C [Minimalist.Cat.T]

def Chomsky2013.was : Minimalist.LexicalItem.Token

Equations

• Chomsky2013.was = Chomsky2013.tok 12 Minimalist.Cat.T [Minimalist.Cat.V] "was"

def Chomsky2013.assassinated : Minimalist.LexicalItem.Token

Equations

• Chomsky2013.assassinated = Chomsky2013.tok 13 Minimalist.Cat.V [Minimalist.Cat.D] "assassinated"

def Chomsky2013.jfk : Minimalist.LexicalItem.Token

Equations

• Chomsky2013.jfk = Chomsky2013.tok 14 Minimalist.Cat.D [] "JFK"

def Chomsky2013.cP : Minimalist.PlanarSyntacticObject

The embedded clause C [was assassinated JFK].

Equations

• Chomsky2013.cP = ↑Chomsky2013.c * (↑Chomsky2013.was * (↑Chomsky2013.assassinated * ↑Chomsky2013.jfk))

theorem Chomsky2013.alpha_label_eq_none : (↑(↑whichCity * cP)).label = none ∧ (↑(↑thought * (↑whichCity * cP))).label = none

(21): in which Texas city stopping in the specifier of the embedded declarative CP leaves α unlabeled, and thought cannot select it.

theorem Chomsky2013.alpha_label_of_raising : (↑(Minimalist.PlanarSyntacticObject.traceOf whichCity * cP)).label = some c ∧ (↑(↑thought * (Minimalist.PlanarSyntacticObject.traceOf whichCity * cP))).label = some thought

Moving on, the wh-phrase leaves its lower copy, α is labeled C, and thought selects it: successive-cyclic movement is forced.