Head (linguistics)

About: Head (linguistics) is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2540 publications have been published within this topic receiving 29023 citations. The topic is also known as: nucleus.

Ranking the Linear Correspondence Axiom

Abstract: The overarching question addressed here is how syntactic structures based on constituency (dominance, c-command) are to be mapped onto linear phonetic strings. I argue that both prosodie principles and narrow-syntactic principles play a role in the linearization of syntactic structures. I take Kayne's (1994) Linear Correspondence Axiom as a starting point: (asymmetric) c-command maps onto precedence relations. Two wide-ranging predictions of Kayne's theory are that specifiers precede their heads and that a head can only have one specifier or adjunct. Although abundant evidence supports these predictions, there is nonetheless a well-known class of apparent counterexamples: Romance languages allow both rightward and multiple dislocations. I take the LCA to be a soft constraint, overruled by a constraint of the Wrap family that seeks to combine a verb and its extended projection in one intonational phrase. Apparent rightward movement is the outcome of rightward linearization forced by Wrap. The possibility o...

Der Komparativzyklus und die Position der Vergleichspartikeln

Abstract: This paper discusses the syntactic position of comparative particles in German against the background of their diachrony. The development that these particles undergo is shown to constitute an instance of cyclical change, the comparative cycle. The historical data, especially so-called hypothetic comparisons, provide evidence for a synchronic analysis of als as a syntactic head above the standard of comparison-CP, and wie as C 0 . It is argued that, diachronically, the former has changed from a lower to a higher syntactic head position while the latter has undergone a reanalysis from a specifier to a head.

Phrase-level Prosodic Smothering in Makonde

Abstract: This paper focuses on the issue of 'prosodic idiosyncrasies' as it arises in the Bantu language Makonde [kde]. Recently, Bennett, Harizanov, & Henderson (2018) proposed 'prosodic smothering', whereby prosodic requirements of an outer morpheme override (i.e. 'smother') prosodic properties of inner morphemes. We extend their analysis to phrase-level phonology in Makonde. Previous description has established that whether a nominal modifier forms a single phonological phrase φ with the noun is an idiosyncratic property, e.g. a [noun adjective] phrase maps to 2 phonological phrases φ (n) φ (adj) while a [noun demonstrative] phrase forms a single phonological phrase φ (n dem). Prosodic smothering is seen in [noun adj dem] sequences which form a single φ (n adj dem) phonological phrase, where the adj has been 'entrapped' and its prosody 'smothered'. We highlight three contributions which Makonde makes to understanding smothering: (i) smothering targets the lexical head, (ii) smothering is both inward-oriented (a morphological relation) and leftward-oriented (a linear relation), and (iii) a limited amount of outward smothering is parasitic on the presence of inward smothering. From the smothering facts in Makonde, we conclude that prosody is established at two stages: first, prosodic idiosyncrasies apply at spell-out (i.e. the mapping from syntax to phonology), followed by default prosodification which is established within the phonological module itself.