Syntax

1. Syntax LING 200 Spring 2002

2. 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

3. Some wh- words in English • who, whom • whose • what • when • where • why • how • which

4. 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

5. Wh- formation in Sekani • Some wh- words • [ma] ‘who, whose’ • [ja] ‘what’ • [ja õh] ‘why’ (‘what for’) • [tetsa], [tewa], [teta] ‘where’ • [tena] ‘which’

6. 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?’

7. 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?’

8. 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 up[river].’ LindakhUne tetsa tstet-a? pl. where they went-wh ~ Tetsa LindakhUnetstet-a? ‘Where did Linda and those guys go?’

9. Summary of wh- movment • English has wh- movement transformation • Sekani • generally does not use wh- movement • only when wh- word replaces adverbial expression

10. 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