| description | Jan-Wouter Zwart. 2009. Relevance of typology to minimalist inquiry. Lingua 119, 1589-1606. Special issue "The forest behind the trees", John Nerbonne and Franz Manni, eds. |
| type | Reviewed journal article (ESF-A). |
| ID | 2009d | 130 | DOI | first version July 1, 2007; final version September 19, 2007 |
| origin | Contribution to a special issue of Lingua on the use of large databases in linguistics. The general idea is the one that gave rise to the Dependency in Universal Grammar research project, and the specific example of coordination reflects an elaboration of the research reported on in 2005e. |
| keywords | typology; minimalism; dependence; sisterhood; coordination; linear order; restricted constructions |
| summary | This article considers to what extent sample based typological research may shed light on questions of central concern within the minimalist program of generative grammar. Focusing on the nature of the structure building operation assumed within the minimalist program (Merge), it is argued that typological data may be relevant to the question whether the product of Merge, a pair of sisters, is symmetric or asymmetric. To this end, a case study is presented showing a fundamental and universal asymmetry between the members of a binary noun phrase coordination, such that the relation between the two conjuncts is invariably marked on the second conjunct. |
| related |
full text Presentations: Meertens, 04/2006; Tromsø, 02/2006; LAGB, 09/2005; TIN, 01/2005; Ann Arbor, 07/2004 Publications: Some notes on coordination in head-final languages, What's in a name? Project proposal: DIUG, 07/2005. |