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Spell‐Out and the Minimalist Program

Online ISBN:
9780191731402
Print ISBN:
9780199593521
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Book

Spell‐Out and the Minimalist Program

Juan Uriagereka
Juan Uriagereka
Department of Linguistics, University of Maryland
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Published online:
19 January 2012
Published in print:
1 December 2011
Online ISBN:
9780191731402
Print ISBN:
9780199593521
Publisher:
Oxford University Press

Abstract

Since Juan Uriagereka originated the multiple spell-out model in 1999 it has been one of the most influential lines of research in syntactic theorizing. The model simplified a crucial element of the minimalist account of language making it a more accurate reflection of syntax and its acquisition. This book explores important consequences of the multiple spell-out hypothesis and of the linked notion of cyclicity. It combines the latest thinking in linguistics with perspectives drawn from physics, biology, and animal behaviour, aiming thereby to advance the field first described by Noam Chomsky as biolinguistics. Without simplifying, this book seeks to present the issues and their broader biological significance. The subjects discussed include the linearization of structure, the punctuated nature of a derivation (the multiple spell-out model), cyclicity and its consequences for locality, and the definition of c-command and its relevance to various types of grammatical dependency. The book discusses the evolutionary implications of Uriagereka's work, considering, for example, whether the punctuated nature of the derivation is a resolution of conflicting demands that yield an equilibrium found in nature more generally.

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