Neglected cases of rightward movement

When wh-phrases and negative quantifiers go to the right

Carlo Geraci | Institut Jean-Nicod, CNRS

Carlo Cecchetto | Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca

We show that sign languages admit genuine cases of rightward movement in the domain of wh-phrases and negative quantifiers, instantiating the mirror image of spoken languages in which wh-phrases and negative quantifiers overtly move leftward. The pattern emerging from Italian Sign Language (LIS), American Sign Language (ASL) and Indo-Pakistani Sign Language (IPSL) opens intriguing questions concerning the role of language external factors influencing the final shape of languages at the articulatory-perceptual interface. According to the account offered here, language external factors, in accordance with the Processing-to-Grammar Correspondence Hypothesis, actively interact with language specific rules and configurations, determined by the parameters of Universal Grammar.

Published online: 16 July 2013
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.200.08ger

Cited by

Cited by 1 other publications

Branchini, Chiara, Anna Cardinaletti, Carlo Cecchetto, Caterina Donati & Carlo Geraci

2015. In Signs and Structures [Benjamins Current Topics, 71], ► pp. 39 ff.

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 28 march 2021. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.