Bogomolets, Fenger & Stegovec | Syntax

The article “Movement in disguise: Morphology as a diagnostic for verb movement in Algonquian”, by Ksenia Bogomolets (PhD 2020, now at Māori Language Commission & University of Auckland), Paula Fenger (PhD 2020, now at Leipzig University), and Adrian Stegovec, has just appeared online ahead of its print publication in the journal Syntax.

Abstract: This paper argues for a unification of two seemingly unrelated phenomena from unrelated language families: Verb Second in Germanic, and Conjunct versus Independent Order in Algonquian. It is argued that both reflect the possibility of the verb moving to C. While in Germanic this results in word order differences, in Algonquian V-to-C movement is detectable only via morphological alternations in agreement morphology. Under this view, Conjunct/Independent agreement and V2 are merely distinct reflexes of the same underlying process. This opens up new avenues of research in relation to V-to-C movement, framing it as a parametric option with potentially very different surface results in different languages depending on the setting of other parameters.

The Linguistic Review | Special Issue

A special issue of The Linguistic Review on “Workspace, MERGE and Labelling”, guest edited by Victor Junnan Pan, Mamoru Saito and Yuqiao Du, was recently published (Volume 41, Issue 1, February 2024)The issue is the culmination of the Workshop on Workspace, MERGE and Labeling, which was held on August 7th, 2022 as part of GLOW in Asia XIII, hosted by the Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The papers in the issue are based on select talks presented at the workshop and main conference, and many of them are authored by current UConn linguistics faculty and alumni:

  • Željko Bošković. On wh and subject positions, the EPP, and contextuality of syntax
  • Mamoru Saito. On Minimal Yield and Form Copy: evidence from East Asian languages
  • Hiromune Oda (PhD 2021, now at University of Tokyo). Large-scale pied-piping in the labeling theory and conditions on weak heads
  • Adrian Stegovec. The third way: object reordering as ambiguous labeling resolution

UConn Linguistics at GLOW in Asia

The 14th Generative Linguistics in the Old World in Asia (GLOW in Asia XIV) took place March 6-8th, hosted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong. UConn was very well represented at the conference with a keynote talk by:

  • Željko Bošković. More than one way to spell out a phase

… main session talks by:

  • Tarcisio Dias. Superraise only if you hyperraise
  • Mia Gong and Miloje Despić (PhD 2011, now at Cornell University). On the Nature of Reflexive Binding in Mongolian: from Nominals to Clauses

… and posters by:

  • Yuya Noguchi. Syntactic aspects of co-occurrence of a wh- and a concealed question in Japanese
  • Nick Huang (post-doc 2019-2021, now at National University of Singapore) and Zheng Shen (PhD 2018, now at National University of Singapore). The role of main verbs in subextraction of wh-phrases from NPs
  • Miloje Despić. Uncovering Hidden Structures in BCMS: The Case of Negative Imperatives
  • Masao Ochi (PhD 1999, now at Osaka University) and Yuta Tatsumi (PhD 2021, now at Meikai University). Numeral Classifiers in Japanese and (Anti-)Labeling
  • Heesun Yang and Bum-Sik Park (PhD 2005, now at Dongguk University). The Syntax and Semantics of the High Negation Question in Korean
  • Jarry Chuang. Right Dislocation in Chinese: Consequence of Topicalization & Comp-to-Spec movement
  • Austin Jaejun Kim and Myung-Kwan Park (PhD 1994, now at Dongguk University). Reanalysis and intervention in English ‘tough’ constructions
  • Yuta Sakamoto (PhD 2017, now at Meiji University) and Rikuto Yokoyama. Silent Presupposition in Japanese Clefts: Ellipsis vs. Proform
  • Pravaal Yadav. Discourse’s effect on the Structure: An evidence from agreement patterns in Hindi-Urdu

    UConn at ECO5

    ECO-5 is an annual gathering of linguistics graduate students from five East Coast universities (UMass, MIT, Harvard, UConn, and UMD), and this year it was hosted by the UMass Linguistics department, taking place on March 2nd. UConn Linguistics was represented at ECO-5 with talks by:

    • Aarón Sánchez. (Un)agreement in Spanish and Greek Fake Indexicals
    • Shangyan Pan. Gei as functional elements: How many are there?
    • Tyler Poisson. Arithmetic in English and ditransitive constructions
    • Qi Wu. Introducing Target/Stimulus argument of Mandarin Experiencer-Subject psych-predicates

    Gao Defense

    Kangzheng Gao successfully defended his doctoral dissertation titled A constraint-based approach to syntactic parameter-setting on February 22nd.

    Congratulations, Kangzheng!

     

    Kangzheng during the defense:

     

    Dr. Gao with his committee after the successful defense:

     

    Dr. Gao’s well earned cake:

     

    Noguchi Defense

    Yuya Noguchi successfully defended his doctoral dissertation titled Asymmetries, Covert Wh-Movement, and Nominality in Japanese Wh-Questions on February 5th.

    Congratulations, Yuya!

    Yuya during the defense:

     

    Dr. Noguchi with his committee after the successful defense:

     

    Dr. Noguchi cutting his well earned cake: