Article published in:
Linguistic Variation Yearbook 2001Edited by Pierre Pica
[Linguistic Variation Yearbook 1] 2001
► pp. 61–104
The configurational structure of a nonconfigurational language
Julie Anne Legate | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
In this article, I present evidence for hierarchy and movement in Warlpiri, the proto-typical nonconfigurational language. Within the verb phrase, I identify both a symmetric and an asymmetric applicative construction, show that these are problematic for an LFG-style account that claims Warlpiri has a flat syntactic structure, and outline an account of the symmetric/asymmetric applicative distinction based on a hierarchical syntactic structure. Above the verb phrase, I establish syntactic hierarchy through ordering restrictions of adverbs, and ordering of topics, wh-phrases, and focused phrases in the left periphery. Finally, I present evidence that placement of phrases in the left periphery is accomplished through movement, with new data that show island and Weak Crossover effects.
Keywords: focus, topic, adverbs, nonconfigurationality, applicatives, Warlpiri, left periphery
Published online: 24 July 2003
https://doi.org/10.1075/livy.1.05leg
https://doi.org/10.1075/livy.1.05leg
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