Deconstructing subcategorization: Conditions on insertion versus position
Laura Kalin, Nicholas Rolle
November 2021
 

In this squib, we propose that subcategorization at the exponent level must be deconstructed into (at least) two distinct conditions/mechanisms. We refer to this proposal as 'split subcategorization', which states that an exponent may have a condition on its insertion (a COIN) and/or a condition on its position (a COP), which (i) are formally independent of one another, (ii) operate over an overlapping but distinct set of primitives, and (iii) are ordered with respect to each other--COINs are satisfied before COPs. The first condition--the COIN--applies early, presumably at or soon after the spell-out of syntax, and governs suppletive exponent choice. The second condition--the COP--applies at a later point, and governs manipulations of exponent position, i.e., infixation. We contrast our proposal with an alternative we refer to as 'enriched subcategorization', which takes there to be one mechanism governing both infixation and suppletion, with their differences coming from enrichments to the (single) condition on an exponent's realization. On the basis of a number of theoretical and empirical considerations, we argue for the superiority of split subcategorization. Thus, subcategorization must be deconstructed even at the fine-grained level of interest here, as used to regulate individual exponents.
Format: [ pdf ]
Reference: lingbuzz/005975
(please use that when you cite this article)
Published in: Accepted at Linguistic Inquiry
keywords: subcategorization, infixation, suppletion, allomorphy, morphology-phonology interface, morphology
previous versions: v1 [May 2021]
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