Merge and Derivation Layering

LECTURER: JAN-WOUTER ZWART
August 12-16, 14.00-15.30, Room 3.104

This course discusses fundamental aspects of the model of grammar from the perspective of the minimalist program, introduced by Chomsky in 1991 and being updated continually. We will critically reflect on the considerations that gave rise to the formulation of the program in the first place, as well as on the issues that drive more recent proposals. We start with the question how Merge, the single structure-building operation in the model of grammar, can be defined in a maximally minimalist and explanatory way. This will lead to the further question how core phenomena of language, such as agreement, case, binding, and others, can be derived as a function of Merge. A key aspect of the course will be the idea that derivations must be layered, and that many syntactic phenomena, most notably locality and theta theory, can be understood as a function of derivation layering (rather than in terms of phases).