Abstract
On the basis of empirical evidence from various Italian dialects, I argue that primary and secondary interjections lexicalize different functional heads which are computed syntactically at the edge of the clause. Secondary interjections should be clearly distinguished from primary ones; only secondary interjections lexicalizing a SpeechAct° head represent autonomous speech acts and are prosodically and syntactically independent from the co-occurring clause, which they can attract to their specifier position, raising eventually to the adjacent head Speaker° in order to achieve the necessary spatio-temporal contextual anchoring. Primary interjections, which can co-occur with secondary ones and surface clause-initially, lexicalize arguably the highest functional head Speaker°, interacting in interesting ways with lower projections and with the overt realization of the complementizer in Force.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
