Syntax 3Syntax 3

Ling400Ling400

Long-distance relationsLong-distance relations

• WH “movement”WH “movement”– A A whwh-expression (what, who, etc.) is often -expression (what, who, etc.) is often

found in the “wrong place” and is related to found in the “wrong place” and is related to another position within the same sentence.another position within the same sentence.

– Our theory explains this fact in terms of a Our theory explains this fact in terms of a “movement transformation.”“movement transformation.”

WH movementWH movement

S

NPMary VP

Vteaten

NPwhat

Auxhas

WH movementWH movementS

What

Auxhas

NPMary VP

Vteaten

NP[what]

Aux[has]

Subj.-Aux. inversionSubj.-Aux. inversion

John can eat fish.John can eat fish.

John John cancan eat eat whatwhat??

*John *John cancan eat fish eat fish whatwhat ? ?

*John *John willwill disappear disappear whawhat?t?

John John willwill disappear. disappear.

• auxiliary verbs are generated between the auxiliary verbs are generated between the subject NP and the main verb.subject NP and the main verb.

• subj and aux then switch positions in wh-subj and aux then switch positions in wh-questions.questions.

Wh-movement+Subj-Aux inversionWh-movement+Subj-Aux inversionS

WHWhat

Auxhas

NPMary

VP

Veaten

NP[what]

Aux[has]

Subj-Aux inversion Subj-Aux inversion in yes-no questionsin yes-no questions

John John cancan come to the party. come to the party.

CanCan John come to the party? John come to the party?

Bill Bill willwill get married next month. get married next month.

WillWill Bill get married next month? Bill get married next month?

John studies mathematics.John studies mathematics.

*Studies John mathematics?*Studies John mathematics?

DoesDoes John study mathematics? [Don’t John study mathematics? [Don’t worry about this one.]worry about this one.]

Embedded questionsEmbedded questions

• What happens in embedded questions?What happens in embedded questions?

John knows John knows whatwhat Bill Bill cancan eat. eat.

*John knows *John knows whatwhat cancan Bill eat. Bill eat.

*John knows Bill *John knows Bill cancan eat eat whatwhat..

• Wh-movement occursWh-movement occurs

• Subj.-Aux. Inversion does not occur.Subj.-Aux. Inversion does not occur.

WH questions in other WH questions in other languageslanguages

• Not all languages move Not all languages move whwh-words in -words in whwh-questions.-questions.

• Examples: Chinese, Japanese, and Examples: Chinese, Japanese, and many others.many others.

WH questions in ChineseWH questions in Chinese

• Ni shenme shihou qu Ni shenme shihou qu yinyue hui?yinyue hui?

• you what timeyou what time go to music meetinggo to music meeting

• ‘‘When will you go to the concert?’When will you go to the concert?’

• Ni Ni cong nali cong nali lai?lai?

• you you from wherefrom where comecome

• ‘‘Where do you come from?’Where do you come from?’

WH questions in ChineseWH questions in Chinese

• Tamen zuotian wanshang chi shenme le?Tamen zuotian wanshang chi shenme le?• they yesterday night eat what asp-mkthey yesterday night eat what asp-mk• ‘‘What did they eat last night?What did they eat last night?

• Women zenme zuo jiaozi?Women zenme zuo jiaozi?• wewe how how make dumplingmake dumpling• ‘‘How do we make dumplings?’How do we make dumplings?’

WH questions in ChineseWH questions in Chinese

• Ta Ta wei shenme ku le?wei shenme ku le?

• she for what cry asp-mkshe for what cry asp-mk

• ‘‘Why did she cry?’Why did she cry?’

• Ni Ni shi shi shei?shei?

• you are whoyou are who

• ‘‘Who are you?’Who are you?’

The Organization of GrammarThe Organization of Grammar

• Lexicon (finite)Lexicon (finite)

• Phrase structure rules (finite)Phrase structure rules (finite)

• Transformations (finite — very, very Transformations (finite — very, very small in number)small in number)

• This system is capable of generating an This system is capable of generating an infinite number of sentences.infinite number of sentences.

Word Order TypologyWord Order Typology

English:English: They ate an apple(SVO)(SVO)

Russian:Russian: Oni yabloko syeli(SOV)(SOV) they apple ate

Turkish:Turkish: Onlar elma yediler(SOV)(SOV) they apple ate

QuickTime™ and aSorenson Video decompressorare needed to see this picture.

Word Order TypologyWord Order TypologySOV -SOV - Russian, Turkish, Basque, Burmese,Russian, Turkish, Basque, Burmese,

Japanese, Hindi, Korean, Quechua, Japanese, Hindi, Korean, Quechua,

Guugu Ymidhirr, Aleut, German (?)Guugu Ymidhirr, Aleut, German (?)

SVO -SVO - English, Spanish, Italian, French,English, Spanish, Italian, French,

Latin, ChineseLatin, Chinese

VSO -VSO - Irish, Welsh, Berber, Hebrew,

Maori, Maasai

VOS -VOS - Malagasy

OVS -OVS - Amazon Basin

OSV -OSV - ???

Case Marking TypologyCase Marking TypologySOV -SOV - Russian, Turkish, Basque, Burmese,Russian, Turkish, Basque, Burmese,

Japanese, Hindi, Korean, Quechua, Japanese, Hindi, Korean, Quechua,

Guugu Ymidhirr, Aleut, German (?)Guugu Ymidhirr, Aleut, German (?)

SVO -SVO - English, Spanish, Italian, French,English, Spanish, Italian, French,

Latin, ChineseLatin, Chinese

VSO -VSO - Irish, Welsh, Berber, Hebrew,

Maori, Maasai

VOS -VOS - Malagasy

OVS -OVS - Amazon Basin

OSV -OSV - ???

Typology re Case-MarkingTypology re Case-Marking

• Nominative-accusative languagesNominative-accusative languages (e.g. English, (e.g. English, Japanese)Japanese)The subject of a transitive verb and the subject of an The subject of a transitive verb and the subject of an intransitive verb receive the same case marker intransitive verb receive the same case marker (nominative).(nominative).

• Ergative-absolutive languages Ergative-absolutive languages (e.g. Basque)(e.g. Basque)The object of a transitive verb and the subject of an The object of a transitive verb and the subject of an intransitive verb receive the same case (absolutive).intransitive verb receive the same case (absolutive).

Typology re Case-MarkingTypology re Case-Marking

• She hit him. He arrived.She hit him. He arrived.[nom] [acc] [nom][nom] [acc] [nom]

• BasqueBasqueAita ethorri du. Aita ethorri du. father came ‘My father came.’father came ‘My father came.’[absolutive][absolutive]Ni-k aita maite du.Ni-k aita maite du.I father loveI father love[ergative] [absolutive] ‘I love my father’[ergative] [absolutive] ‘I love my father’

WH questions [advanced]WH questions [advanced]

• WH words ask questions in simple WH words ask questions in simple sentences, but can also ask questions in sentences, but can also ask questions in complex sentences — implying “long complex sentences — implying “long distance relations/dependencies”.distance relations/dependencies”.

• What did Bill say that Mary saw ___?What did Bill say that Mary saw ___?• Where did Bill say that Tom took Mary Where did Bill say that Tom took Mary

__?__?• Who did Bill say that Tom claimed that Who did Bill say that Tom claimed that

Helen spoke to ___?Helen spoke to ___?

QuickTime™ and aSorenson Video decompressorare needed to see this picture.

WH and syntactic mysteriesWH and syntactic mysteries

• The boy that I spoke to at noon said he bought a The boy that I spoke to at noon said he bought a book yesterday at the bookstore.book yesterday at the bookstore.

• When did the boy say he bought the book?When did the boy say he bought the book?• --At noon--At noon• --Yesterday--Yesterday• The question word The question word whenwhen can be extracted from the can be extracted from the

main or embedded sentencemain or embedded sentence

WH and syntactic mysteriesWH and syntactic mysteries

• When did the boy say where he bought When did the boy say where he bought the book?the book?

• --At noon--At noon

• --*Yesterday--*Yesterday

• The question word The question word whenwhen can only be can only be associated with the main clause (= associated with the main clause (= sentence), not the embedded sentencesentence), not the embedded sentence

WH and syntactic mysteriesWH and syntactic mysteries

• What is the difference between the two questions?What is the difference between the two questions?– When did the boy say ___ he bought the book ___?When did the boy say ___ he bought the book ___?– When did the boy say ___ When did the boy say ___ wherewhere he bought the book ___? he bought the book ___?

• The second sentence has a WH word at the left edge The second sentence has a WH word at the left edge of the embedded Sof the embedded S