The Minimalist Program and Optimality Theory: Which is the Most Optimal? Wh-Elements as a Case Study
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##
This study analyzes wh-questions from the perspective of the theories of the Minimalist Program and Optimality Theory. We look at specific wh-constructions, including the gap strategy, the in-situ strategy, multiple wh-questions, and relativized wh-questions. This paper shows both the similarities and differences between OT and MP in analyzing wh-elements. One crucial difference is that OT solves the problem of optionality and clearly tackles some aspects of the syntax-pragmatics interface.
References
-
Al-Oshari, W. N., & Al-Shar’abi, T. M. (2016). Wh-movement in Taizi Arabic: An optimality theory account. International Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 4(2), 158–163.
Google Scholar
1
-
Announi, I. (2019). Wh-elements in Moroccan Arabic: A minimalist approach [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Ibn Tofail University.
Google Scholar
2
-
Announi, I. (2021). The problem of word order and verbal movement in Moroccan Arabic. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation, 4(4), 34–54. https://doi.org/10.32996/ijllt.2021.4.4.6.
Google Scholar
3
-
Baker, C. L. 1970. Notes on the description of English questions: the role of an abstract Q- morpheme. Foundations of Language, 6(2), 197–219.
Google Scholar
4
-
Broekhuis, H., & Woolford, E. (2013). Minimalism and optimality theory. In M. D. Dikken (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of generative syntax (pp. 122–161). Cambridge University Press.
Google Scholar
5
-
Btoosh, M. A. (2010). Wh-movement in Standard Arabic: An optimality-theoretic account. Poznan Studies in Contemporary Linguistics, 46(1), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10010-010-0001-y.
Google Scholar
6
-
Cheng, L. (1997). On the typology of wh-questions. New York & London: Garland.
Google Scholar
7
-
Chomsky, N. (1955a). Logical syntax and semantics: their linguistic relevance. Language, 31(1). 36–45. https://doi.org/10.2307/410891.
Google Scholar
8
-
Chomsky, N. (1970). Remarks on nominalization. In R. Jacobs, & P. Rosenbaum (Eds.), Readings in English transformational grammar (pp. 184–221). Blaisdell.
Google Scholar
9
-
Chomsky, N. (1986a). Knowledge of language: its nature, origin, and use. New York: Praeger.
Google Scholar
10
-
Chomsky, N. (1995). The Minimalist Program. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
Google Scholar
11
-
Chomsky, N. (2000). Minimalist inquiries: the framework. In R. Martin, D. Michaels, J. Uriagereka, & S. J. Keyser (Eds.), Step by step: Essays on minimalist syntax in honor of Howard Lasnik (pp. 89–155). The MIT Press.
Google Scholar
12
-
Chomsky, N. (2001a). Derivation by phase. In M. Kenstowicz (Ed.), Ken Hale: a life in language (pp. 1–52). The MIT Press.
Google Scholar
13
-
Chomsky, N. (2005). Three factors in language design. Linguistic Inquiry, 36(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1162/0024389052993655.
Google Scholar
14
-
El-Touny, K. (2011A). Question formation between the minimalist program and optimality theory (Publication No. 109) [Doctoral dissertation, Ain Shams University]. Rutgers.
Google Scholar
15
-
El-Touny, K. (2011b). Optionality in Cairene Arabic wh-questions between the Minimalist program and Optimality theory (Studies in the Linguistic Sciences: Illinois Working Papers). https://doi.org/10.7282/t3v123f1.
Google Scholar
16
-
Faraj, S. (2018). The syntax of wh-movement in Modern Standard Arabic. Journal of the Faculty of Languages, 1(17), 65–79. https://doi.org/10.56592/flj.v1i17.29.
Google Scholar
17
-
Gad, R. F. (2011). A syntactic study of wh-movement in Egyptian Arabic within the minimalist program (Publication No. 540560) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Leeds]. White Rose eTheses Online.
Google Scholar
18
-
Grimshaw, J. (1995). Projection, heads, and optimality. Linguistic Inquiry, 28(3), 373–422.
Google Scholar
19
-
Kager, R. (1999). Optimality theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Google Scholar
20
-
Keer, E. (1999). Som and optimality theory [Unpublished manuscript]. University of Massachusetts, Amherst. http://roa.rutgers.edu/article/view/323.
Google Scholar
21
-
Koopman, H., & Sportiche, D. (1991). The position of subjects. Lingua, 85, 211–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/0024-3841(91)90022-W.
Google Scholar
22
-
Krapova, I, & G. Cinque. (2008). On the order of wh-phrases in Bulgarian multiple wh-fronting. In G. Zybatow, L. Szucsich, U. Junghanns, & R. Meyer (Eds.), Formal description of Slavic languages: The fifth conference (pp. 318–336). Peter Lang.
Google Scholar
23
-
Larson, R. (1988). On the double object construction. Linguistic Inquiry, 19(3), 335–391.
Google Scholar
24
-
Larson, R. (1990). Double objects revisited: reply to Jackendoff. Linguistic Inquiry, 21(4). 589–632.
Google Scholar
25
-
Legendre, G, Wilson, C, Smolensky, P, Homer, K, & Raymond, W. (1995). Optimality and wh-Extraction. In J. Beckman, L. Walsh-Dickie, & S. Urbanczyk (Eds.), Papers in optimality theory (pp. 607–634). GSLA.
Google Scholar
26
-
Liao, W, & Wang, Y. (2009). Multiple wh-construction and its interpretations in Chinese. In A. Shardl, M. Walkow, & M. Abdurrahman (Eds.), The proceedings of NELS 38(2) (pp. 63–74). GLSA Publications.
Google Scholar
27
-
McCarthy, J. J. (2002). A thematic guide to optimality theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Google Scholar
28
-
McCarthy, J. J. (2008). Doing optimality theory: applying theory to data. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Google Scholar
29
-
Müller, G. (2001). Optionality in optimality-theoretic syntax. In L. Cheng, & R. Sybesma (Eds.), The second glot international state-of-the-article book (pp. 289–321). Berlin.
Google Scholar
30
-
Musabhien, M. (2008). Case, agreement, and movement in Arabic: A minimalist approach [Doctoral dissertation, Newcastle University]. Newcastle University eTheses.
Google Scholar
31
-
Pesetsky, D. (1987). Wh-in-situ: movement and unselective binding. In E. J. Reuland, & A. G. B. ter Meulen (Eds.), The representation of indefiniteness (pp. 98–129). The MIT Press.
Google Scholar
32
-
Pesetsky, D. (1997). Optimality theory and syntax: movement and pronunciation. In D. Archangeli, & D. T. Langendoen (Eds.), Optimality theory: an overview (pp. 134–170). Blackwell.
Google Scholar
33
-
Prince, A., & Smolensky, P. (1993). Optimality theory: constraint interaction in generative grammar. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Google Scholar
34
-
Radford, A. (2004). English syntax: an introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Google Scholar
35
-
Samek-Lodovici, V. (1998). OT-Interaction between focus and canonical word order: Deriving the crosslinguistic typology of structural contrastive focus [Unpublished Manuscript]. University College London.
Google Scholar
36
-
Samek-Lodovici, V. (2006). Optimality theory and the minimalist program. In H. Broekhuis & R. Vogel (Eds.), Optimality theory and minimalism: A possible convergence? Linguistics in Potsdam 25 (pp. 77-97). Universitätsverlag Potsdam.
Google Scholar
37
-
Zavitnevich-Beaulac, O. (2005). On wh-movement and the nature of wh-phrases - case re-examined. Skase Journal of Theoretical Linguistics, 2(3), 75–100.
Google Scholar
38
-
Zeijlstra, H. (2012). There is only one way to agree. The Linguistic Review, 29(3), 491–539. https://doi.org/10.1515/tlr-2012-0017.
Google Scholar
39