A Minimalist Analysis of Scrambling in Central Kurdish

Abstract

This study characterizes the descriptive and theoretical properties of scrambling in Central Kurdish. Scrambling denotes a phenomenon or a process by which constituents of a clause are displaced from their original and unmarked positions and are placed in other positions in the sentence. Following the tenets and concepts as currently assumed in work within the framework of the Minimalist Program, the study answers questions that are related to the types of constituents that may undergo scrambling in the language, the nature of the movement types and positions involved, and the semantic-discourse import of scrambled constituents. Arguments and adjuncts in Central Kurdish may undergo displacement as a result of scrambling, and the syntactic categories affected by scrambling are DP, PP, VP, and adjunct CPs. As the language displays all three of short-distance, mid-distance and long-distance scrambling, several diagnostic tests such as binding, crossover effects, and parasitic gaps were applied to find out the nature of movement for each type of scrambling. In terms of the semantic-discourse import, it was found that scrambling in Central Kurdish does not alter the compositional semantics of the sentences, but it gives rise to new discourse interpretations. five keywords or phrases in alphabetical order, separated by commas.