A linear asymmetry inside VP: the interruption of verb clusters by non-

verbal material

Eric Hoekstra

Workshop Eric Reuland

(1) Typological asymmetries

• As there are languages with Verb-First, there must be languages with V-last

• As there are languages with V-Second, there must be languages with V-Last-but-One

• As there are languages moving Wh-items to the first position in the clause, there must be languages moving Wh-items to the last position in the clause.

(2)

Omdat ik jou wel zou hebben

because I you AVP would have

willen blijven zien staan toekijken.

want stay see stand watch

'Because I would have liked to see you continue standing there watching.'

(3a) Modern Dutch, verb order 123

Wie weet waarom Huntelaar niet

who knows why Huntelaar not

mocht worden geselecteerd.

might-1 become-2 selected-3.

‘Who knows why Huntelaar was not allowed to be selected.’

(3b) Modern Frisian, verb order 321

Wa wit wêrom’t Huntelaar net

who knows why Huntelaar not

selektearre wurde mocht.

selected-3 might-2 become-1

‘Who knows why Huntelaar was not allowed to be selected.’

(4a) Old English 1 X 2 3

Thaet he eft mage aet

that he afterwards may at

sumonsaele beon geclaensod.

some time be purified

‘That he may afterwards be purified at some time.’

(4b) Old English 1 2 X 3

Thaet hi ne sceoldon beon to

that they not might betoo

swidhe afyrhte.

strongly terrified

‘That they might not be too terrified.’

(5) Head-initial occurences in Old English corpus consulted by Koopman

1 2 3 343

1 X 23 156

12 X 3 151

1 X 2 X 3 50

(6) Old English 321

“shows no variation at all. In all the cases the three verbs are adjacent.” (Koopman:p. 49).

* 3 X 2 1

* 3 2 X 1

(7) Head-final occurences in Old English corpus consulted by Koopman

3 2 1 80

3 X 21 0

32 X 1 0

3 X 2 X 1 0

(8) Break-up in subclusters of three-verb clusters

Break-up No break-up

1 X 2 21

2 X 3 32

(9a) Hypothetical generalisation 1: Strict head-initiality

A subcluster of two verbs may be broken up only if the preceding head selects the following head.

(9b) Hypothetical generalisation 2: Relaxed head-initiality

`A subcluster of two verbs may be broken up only if the preceding head selects the following head

or there is an additional head such that the preceding head selects the additional head and the additional head selects the following head.

(10)Predictions for the subclusters 13 and 31:

1 X 3 3 X 1

Strict head-initiality * *

Relaxed head-init. OK *

NB Recursive head-initiality.

(11) Support for relaxed head-initiality

The subcluster 1X3 occurs in the clusters 1X32 and 21X3; both are attested in OE:

(11a) 1 X 3 2

Thaet he moste sumum rican menn

that he might some powerful man

to bearne geteald beon.

as child accounted be

‘That he might be accounted the child of some powerful man.’

(11b) 2 1 X 3

Thaet dhu wurdhan scealt mid urum

that you become must with our

swurdum ofslagen mid him.

swords killed with him

‘That you must be killed with our swords together with him.’

(12) Further prediction from relaxed head-initiality for 231

2 X 3 1 OK (though partly headfinal)

2 3 X 1 *

(13) Modern Dutch, head-initial

(13a)

Omdathij mij op wou bellen.

because he me up wanted call

'Because he wanted to call me up.‘

(13b)

Omdathij mij wou op bellen.

because he me wanted up call

(14) Modern Dutch, head-final

(14a)

Omdathij mij op bellen wou.

because he me up phone would

(14b)

* Omdat hij mij bellen op wou.

because he me phone up would

(15) Modern Frisian, head-final

(15a)

Omdatik dy him op beljen

because I you him up call-5

hearre wollen hawwe soe.

hear-4 wanted-3 have-2 would-1

(16) Modern Frisian, head-final, continued

Omdat ik dy him …

* … beljen op hearre wollen hawwe soe.

call-5 up hear-4 wanted-3 have-2 would-1

* … beljen hearre op wollen hawwe soe.

* … beljen hearre wollen op hawwe soe.

* … beljen hearre wollen hawwe op soe.

(16a) (Aarschots, Pauwels 1965:109)

Dat ik verleden jaar een huis

that I last year a house

doen bouwen heb.

make-2 build-3 have

'That I had a house built last year.'

(16b) (Katwijks, De Vink 2004:118)

Hij was bang dat ie

he was afraid that he

blijve zitte mos.

stay-2 sitting-3 must-1

'He was afraid that he should stay sitting.'

(17) Predictions for interruption in these clusters

(17a) 2 X 3 1, prediction: OK

(17b) 2 3 X 1, prediction: *

(17a) 2 X 3 1, prediction: OK

(17a)De soldaete hoorde tot zethe` soldiers heard that they blijve deur vichte mossestay-2 through fight-3 must-1

'The soldiers heard that they had to continue fighting.'

(17b) 2 3 X 1, prediction: *

(17b)

* De soldaete hoorde tot ze

the soldiers heard that they

blijve vichte deur mosse

stay-2 fight-3 through must-1

(18a) 2 X 3 1, prediction: OK

Omdatze ‘m niet

because they him not

late op houwe konde

let-2 up stop-3 could-1

'Because they could not let him stop.'

(18b) 2 3 X 1, prediction: *

* Omdat ze ‘m niet

because they him not

late houwe op konde

let-2 stop-3 up could-1

'Because they could not let him stop.'