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S-Lab - Anna Grabovac / Concord as spell-out in Slavic

A young woman (Anna Grabovac, lecturer in linguistics) standing in an ancient university campus, trees and gothic buildings behind her, smiling at the camera in a light winter coat, hands seemingly in pockets.

S-Lab - Anna Grabovac / Concord as spell-out in Slavic

Linguistics Monday, October 3, 2022 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm Marie Mount Hall, 1108B

October 3, Anna Grabovac presents her recent work at S-Lab, with "Concord as spell-out in Slavic." An abstract follows.

Concord as spell-out in Slavic

Much of the literature has conflated analyses of concord and agreement since both appear to involve the sharing of features between elements. In fact, concord is often defined simply as ‘agreement in the nominal domain.’ However, some have argued that the differences between concord and agreement are not negligible, and that attempts to unify the two produce over-complicated analyses. In line with this latter group, and particularly inspired by Norris 2014, I analyze concord as the result of the spell-out of features from dominating nodes on available terminals. Extending Norris’s analysis, I emphasize a theme of domain maximization; features percolate as high as possible in the syntax and are realized as low as possible in concord. The concord system is illustrated through an examination of four patterns from BCS, Polish, and Russian higher numeral constructions (containing numerals ‘five’ and above). In addition to a simpler account of general concord patterns, the proposed analysis offers a novel take on complex Slavic patterns, with further insights into semi-lexicality, the application of impoverishment, and the movement of features through the extended projection.

Add to Calendar 10/03/22 14:00:00 10/03/22 15:30:00 America/New_York S-Lab - Anna Grabovac / Concord as spell-out in Slavic

October 3, Anna Grabovac presents her recent work at S-Lab, with "Concord as spell-out in Slavic." An abstract follows.

Concord as spell-out in Slavic

Much of the literature has conflated analyses of concord and agreement since both appear to involve the sharing of features between elements. In fact, concord is often defined simply as ‘agreement in the nominal domain.’ However, some have argued that the differences between concord and agreement are not negligible, and that attempts to unify the two produce over-complicated analyses. In line with this latter group, and particularly inspired by Norris 2014, I analyze concord as the result of the spell-out of features from dominating nodes on available terminals. Extending Norris’s analysis, I emphasize a theme of domain maximization; features percolate as high as possible in the syntax and are realized as low as possible in concord. The concord system is illustrated through an examination of four patterns from BCS, Polish, and Russian higher numeral constructions (containing numerals ‘five’ and above). In addition to a simpler account of general concord patterns, the proposed analysis offers a novel take on complex Slavic patterns, with further insights into semi-lexicality, the application of impoverishment, and the movement of features through the extended projection.

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