Chapter 9
Prosody-driven scrambling in Italian
In Italian, the syntactic layout of the
constituent following a postverbal focus affects whether its
internal components may scramble above the preceding focus. The
governing factor is the phonological phrasing projected by the
constituent. Scrambling is only possible when it improves stress
alignment with the right boundary of the intonational phrase
wrapping the sentence. This study provides further evidence that the
classic T-model where syntax feeds prosody needs to be amended and
allow for prosody-syntax interaction. As this study shows, OT
provides a possible model for such interaction that entirely
dispenses with interface-related stipulations.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Prosody-driven scrambling
- Case I (independent phrases)
- Case II (head-complement)
- 3.Detailed analysis
- 3.1Case I – Independent phrases can scramble
- Input A1
- Input A2
- Input A3
- Input A4
- 3.2Case II – Complements of overt lexical heads cannot
scramble
- Input A1 and A2
- Input A3
- Input A4
- 4.Conclusions
-
Acknowledgements
-
Notes
-
References
-
Appendix
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