Original scientific paper

Unmerging analytic comparatives

Karen De Clercq ; FWO-Ghent University
Guido Vanden Wyngaerd ; KU Leuven

Abstract

We look at the internal structure of the English analytic comparative marker more, arguing that it spells out nearly all the features of a gradable adjective. When this marker is merged with an adjective in the positive degree, it creates a situation of feature recursion or overlap, where more duplicates certain features that are also present in the adjective that it modifies. We argue that such overlap must be disallowed as a matter of principle. We present an empirical argument in favour of such a restriction, which is based on the generalization that comparative markers which occur to the left of the adjectival root are incompatible with suppletion. This generalization can be shown to follow from a restriction against overlapping derivations. In order to achieve such nonoverlapping derivations, an Unmerge operation may remove previously created structure.

Keywords

nanosyntax; comparative; suppletion; structure removal

Hrčak ID:

213797

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/213797

Publication date:

22.12.2018.

Article data in other languages: croatian

Visits: 1.091 *