Event

The abstract for Zeljko Boskovic's talk:


What is sent to spell-out is phases
Željko Bošković


An appealing property of the phase theory is that it is relevant to many phenomena, i.e. many domain-based mechanisms are stated in terms of phases. However, although phasal complements have no theoretical status in the phase theory (only phases do), they are taken to define spell-out units. The talk explores the possibility of an approach where phases define spell-out domains, which means that what is sent to spell-out is the phase itself. Several arguments to this effect will be presented regarding syntax-phonology interaction, as well as more theoretical issues such as labeling. The assumption, however, has significant consequences for successive-cyclic movement. If phases are sent to spell-out and what is sent to spell-out is inaccessible to the syntax, successive-cyclic movement cannot target phases. Under the account explored in the talk, successive-cyclic movement therefore does not proceed via phases (i.e. phasal edges). As a result, the account also eliminates the PIC.