Syntax

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Syntax

• LING 200
• Spring 2002

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Wh- movement

• Chia-Hui has given the answer key to Aixa.
• Chia-Hui has given the answer key to who?
• Who has Chia-Hui given the answer key to?
• To whom has Chia-Hui given the answer key?

Chia-Hui has given the answer key to Aixa.
subj-aux inversion
wh- movement
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Some wh- words in English

• who, whom
• whose
• what
• when
• where
• why
• how
• which

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Sekani

• Word order SOV
• sãs t?h?? nà?ì/àt?
• black bear dog it bit
• A bear bit the dog.
• V? nasal vowel
• V? low tone vowel
• ? voiceless alveolar lateral fricative
• ? voiced velar fricative
• / glottal stop

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Wh- formation in Sekani

• Some wh- words
• ma who, whose
• ja what
• ja ?õh why (what for)
• tetsa, tewa, teta where
• tena which

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Wh- word in situ

• Wh- word is subject
• ja t?h?? nà?ì/àt?-a
• what dog it bit-wh
• What bit the dog?
• Wh- word is object
• t?h?? ma nà?ì/àt?-a
• dog who it bit-wh
• Who did the dog bite?

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Wh- word in situ

• Wh- word is indirect object
• Edna t?hãzi Corinne ?ànihthe?.
• puppy she gave to
• Edna gave the puppy to Corinne.
• Edna t?hãzi ma ?ànihthe?-a?
• puppy who she gave to-wh
• Who did Edna give the puppy to?

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Wh- movement
Optional when wh- word replaces directional
adverb
Linda khU?ne jìti?e ??t??stet? pl.
up they went Linda and those guys went
upriver. Linda khU?ne tetsa ??t??stet?-a?
pl. where they went-wh Tetsa Linda khU?ne
??t??stet?-a? Where did Linda and those guys go?
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Summary of wh- movment

• English has wh- movement transformation
• Sekani
• generally does not use wh- movement
• only when wh- word replaces adverbial expression

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Syntax summary

• Sentences are more than linear strings of words
• Rules that generate structure PS rules
• Tests for constituent structure
• Rules that permute structure transformational
  rules
• Languages vary in PS, transformational rules