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In:Theoretical Issues in the Languages of the Caucasus
Edited by Ümit Atlamaz, Ömer Demirok and Balkız Öztürk
[Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today 294] 2026
► pp. 339–370

Chapter 11
West Circassian lessons on phase theory

This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Abstract
This paper explores the connection between the opacity of phases and their status as spellout domains. Based on evidence from West Circassian, I argue that while a subset of phases are salient prosodic domains, syntactic opacity is not a consequence of transfer to PF, but of standard conditions on locality. Furthermore, the relation between phasehood and prosodic constituency holds only partially: some phases are not salient prosodic domains. West Circassian provides a compelling illustration of this mismatch due its polysynthetic profile. On the one hand, a complex syntactic constituent is identifiable as a prosodic domain due to being pronounced as a single prosodic word. On the other, the connection between syntactic opacity and locality constraints is demonstrated by dynamic phasehood which is connected to the licensing of polysynthetic ϕ-agreement.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background on West Circassian
  • 3.Phases in the syntax
    • 3.1Agree-based phasehood and relativization
    • 3.2Variable phasehood in the narrow syntax: Cross-clausal relativization
    • 3.3Phases in the syntax: Summary
  • 4.Phases at the interface
    • 4.1DP and CP at the interface
    • 4.2vP and ApplP are not prosodic domains
    • 4.3Phases at the interface: Summary
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Author queries
  • Notes
  • References
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