Asymmetries in Double Object Constructions and Labeling

초록

This paper aims to examine asymmetries that two objects in a double object construction (DOC) show in A/A’-movement and proposes an alternative structure of the DOC, providing labeling accounts for the asymmetries. The study, following Marantz (1993), McGinnis (1998), and Pylkkanen (2002) among others, suggests that the structure requires an applicative projection for an additional internal argument, and the structure must represent a hierarchical relation between the indirect object (IO) and the direct object (DO). Because the IO is parallel with the subject in that both are banned from (sub-)extraction, I claim that as the subject is stuck after internal merge to A-position, the IO is frozen after internally merging from its theta-position to φ-feature agreement/Case valuation position (i.e., IO Criterion). That is, because of <φ, φ> labeled structure, the IO is inhibited from further movement. This can explain why A’-movement of the IO is disallowed and why A-movement of the IO as the subject of passive voice is possible. In multiple wh-questions, the wh-IO can proceed A’-movement without halting problems thanks to pied-piping.

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