Feature Geometry and Head Splitting in the Wolof Clausal Periphery

• Autores: Martina Martinović
• Localización: Linguistic inquiry, ISSN 0024-3892, Vol. 54, Nº 1, 2023, págs. 79-116
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This article is a study of the morphosyntax of the clausal periphery in Wolof, specifically the two layers commonly labeled CP and IP. It has long been noted that (a) C and I share a number of properties, and (b) languages differ in the amount of structure over which functional features are distributed. I propose a structure-building mechanism that can both explain the C-I relationship and derive the variation in the distribution of features over syntactic heads. I argue that features of C and I are bundled together and that this feature bundle can be divided into multiple heads via Head Splitting, which allows parts of feature bundles to reproject. The proposal is illustrated through a detailed exploration of the C-I domain in Wolof, which bundles C and I into one head in some structures and splits them in others.