Contextuality of Syntax and Adieu to the A/A’-Distinction
Zeljko Boskovic
August 2024
 

The paper highlights a broader theoretical move toward contextuality in syntax, which has largely gone unnoticed because the contextuality is manifested quite differently in different syntactic domains, making the contextuality connection across them not that easy to discern. In particular, this theoretical move toward contextuality is shown to be manifested in the following domains: structure building, labeling, islandhood, phases, phasal edges, spell-out domains, and the EPP. The contextuality of syntax is also shown to be non-Markovian in nature, hence it argues against treating syntax as Markovian in nature. One Markovian property is, however, maintained: no look-ahead power. Most importantly, it is shown that the contextual approach to the EPP opens the door for eliminating the A/A’-distinction from binding, in a way where all that is needed for binding is c-command: with traditional A’-movement, the issue is that the nominal simply fails to c-command.
Format: [ pdf ]
Reference: lingbuzz/008345
(please use that when you cite this article)
Published in: Ms.
keywords: a/a’-distinction, binding, epp, islands, labeling, structure building, phases, spell-out domains, syntax
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