We are very happy to announce the next talk in our syntax colloquium this term. Harold Torrence (UCLA) will talk about „The Pathway of Successive Cyclic Movement: Evidence from Avatime Complex Predicates”. The talk will take place online, please see the information below on how to participate.
Title: „The Pathway of Successive Cyclic Movement: Evidence from Avatime Complex Predicates”
Time : 01.02.2021, 4 pm
Place: Zoom (If you are not a regular member of the syntax colloquium and if you would like to listen to this talk, please contact Katharina Hartmann. You will be sent a link / ID to Zoom.)
Please find the abstract below.
You are all, as always, cordially invited!
All the best,
Johannes
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„The Pathway of Successive Cyclic Movement: Evidence from Avatime Complex Predicates”
Understanding the mechanism of successive cyclic A‘-movement is a longstanding issue in generative syntax. Within this framework of ideas, one central concern has been to determine what are the intermediate landing sites. Related to this is the question of why particular regions of the clause are landing sites for intermediate movement and others not. A number of analysts have argued that long distance A‘-movement involves landing sites in the intermediate left peripheries (e.g., McCloskey 2002 for Irish and van Urk 2015 for Dinka). At the same time, others have cast doubt on whether there is movement through intermediate SpecCPs or the CP region (den Dikken 2010). Further, it has been argued that successive cyclic movement targets the edge of vP (e.g., Chomsky 1986, 1995; Legate 2003, Ingason and Wood 2017).
This talk explores these issues in successive cyclic wh-movement. Using data from Avatime, a Kwa language of Ghana, I argue that successive cyclic A‘-movement involves obligatory intermediate landing sites in both the vP and CP regions of all clauses between the extraction site and the final landing site. The evidence for these conclusions comes from investigation of the patterns of pied piping and partial movement of the “pieces” of idiomatic complex predicates. If time permits, I will also show that similar patterns are found in other Kwa languages.