The L-Syntax/S-Syntax Boundary: Evidence from Austronesian

Abstract

Hale and Keyser (1993) introduce a new level to the grammar by suggesting that syntax may be divided between s-syntax (syntactic syntax) and l-syntax (lexical syntax). As with any innovation, the range of application of this new level of l-syntax must be motivated and constrained. In this paper I examine the characteristics of l-syntax with the aim of both determining and restricting its use. In the process, I introduce the notion of binding categories — categories that are non-distinct from lexical categories and from functional categories. I will argue that binding categories play an important role in the representation of event structure in phrase structure and that a particular binding category, Event (E), represents the phrase structure boundary between l-syntax and s-syntax.

This paper is, to a large extent, the development of insights of two former McGill students, Henrietta Hung and Natividad del Pilar. None of this proposal would exist without the observations presented in papers they wrote while at McGill. Therefore, I am most grateful for their input, as well as to Mengistu Amberber, Mark Baker, Shinji Fukuda, and Ken Hale. I would also like to thank the audience at AFLA Il and an anonymous reviewer for their comments. Finally, I am grateful for the financial support provided by FCAR grant 94ER0578 and SSHRCC grant 410-93-0897. Tagalog data has been supplied by Natividad del Pilar, Lourdes Corpuz, and Cora Casil. Malagasy data has been supplied by Irène Rakotoanosy and Saholy Hanitriniaina. The abbreviations used in the text are the following: AT (Actor Topic); acc (accusative); LC (lexical causative); nom (nominative); obi (oblique); PC (productive causative); pert (perfective); pl (plural); rec (reciprocal); TT (Theme Topic).