Book contents
- Continuing Syntax
- Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics
- Continuing Syntax
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Part I Configuration and Hierarchy
- Part II Locality
- 10 Wh-Movement: Unbounded Dependencies, Islands, Subjacency and Barriers
- 11 Covert Movement, Copy Theory and Reconstruction
- 12 Phases and Phase Impenetrability
- 13 Types of Locality: Phases and Relativised Minimality
- 14 The Syntax of Silence I: Ellipsis
- 15 The Syntax of Silence II: Empty Pronouns
- 16 Wrapping up: Parameters, Features and Futures
- Glossary
- Book part
- Index
- References
12 - Phases and Phase Impenetrability
from Part II - Locality
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 October 2025
Book contents
- Continuing Syntax
- Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics
- Continuing Syntax
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Part I Configuration and Hierarchy
- Part II Locality
- 10 Wh-Movement: Unbounded Dependencies, Islands, Subjacency and Barriers
- 11 Covert Movement, Copy Theory and Reconstruction
- 12 Phases and Phase Impenetrability
- 13 Types of Locality: Phases and Relativised Minimality
- 14 The Syntax of Silence I: Ellipsis
- 15 The Syntax of Silence II: Empty Pronouns
- 16 Wrapping up: Parameters, Features and Futures
- Glossary
- Book part
- Index
- References
Summary
In this chapter, we introduce the concept of phases, a further development of the islands/subjacency/barriers line of investigation, but with many other consequences. We look at the notion of phase and the Phase Impenetrability Condition, in particular Chomsky’s original rigid definition of phases as CP, v*P and DP, which contrasts with Bošković’s contextual definition. We also look
at the consequence of the PIC that successive-cyclic movement has to pass through SpecvP and adduce a range of cross-linguistic evidence in support of this. We then turn to the question of the driver for successive-cyclic movement. The Labelling Algorithm (LA) can provide an elegant account of this. Finally, we see the evidence for a new set of islands and how the contextual definition of phases, the antilocality condition on movement and the PIC conspire to give a narrow window of movement-targets.
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- Continuing SyntaxHierarchy and Locality, pp. 238 - 256Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
References
Further Reading
Adger, D. 2003. Core Syntax: A minimalist approach. Oxford: Blackwell, especially Chapter 10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boeckx, C., & Grohmann, K. K.. 2007. Putting phases into perspective. Syntax 10: 204–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bošković, Ž. & Lasnik, H.. 2006. Minimalist Syntax: The essential readings. Oxford: Blackwell, Sections 1.3, 2.3.1 and 5.Google Scholar
Bošković, Ž. 2015. From the Complex NP Constraint to everything: On deep extractions across categories. Linguistic Review 32: 603–69.10.1515/tlr-2015-0006CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chomsky, N. 2000. Minimalist inquiries: The framework. In Martin, R., Michaels, D. & Uriagereka, J. (eds.), Step by Step. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 89–156.Google Scholar
Chomsky, N. 2001. Derivation by phase. In Kenstowicz, M. (ed.), Ken Hale: A life in language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1–52.Google Scholar
Chomsky, N. 2004. Beyond explanatory adequacy. In Belletti, A. (ed.), Structures and Beyond: The Cartography of Syntactic Structures. Vol. 3. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 104–31.Google Scholar
Chomsky, N. 2008. On phases. In Freidin, Robert, Otero, Carlos & Zubizaretta, Maria-Luisa (eds.), Foundational Issues in Linguistic Theory. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Hornstein, N, Nunes, J. & Grohmann, K.. 2005. Understanding Minimalism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Chapter 10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Legate, J. 2003. Some interface properties of the phase. Linguistic Inquiry 34: 506–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rackowski, A. & Richards, N.. 2005. Phase edge and extraction: A Tagalog case study. Linguistic Inquiry 36: 565–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Radford, A. 2004. English Syntax: An introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Chapter 10.10.1017/CBO9780511841675CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richards, N. 2010. Uttering Trees. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.10.7551/mitpress/9780262013765.001.0001CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simpson, A. & Sarnou, S.. 2016 . Blocking effects of higher numerals in Bangla: A phase-based analysis. Linguistic Inquiry 47: 754–64.Google Scholar
Uriagereka, J. 1999. Multiple spellout. In Epstein, S. & Hornstein, N. (eds.), Working Minimalism. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 251–82.Google Scholar
Van Urk, C. & Richards, N.. 2015. Two components of long-distance extraction: Successive cyclicity in Dinka. Linguistic Inquiry 46(1): 113–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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