Abstract

AbstractA long debate observation in adult psycholinguistic literature holds that object questions are more difficult than subject questions and not surprisingly that they are acquired later than subject questions. This is the starting point, mainly discussed on the basis of Italian acquisition data and linked to an observation stemming from the linguistic literature, namely, that there are languages that allow only subject questions. These facts are all dealt with by the assumption that object question formation involves a movement step turning a wh-object trace into an intervener between AgrS/T and a subject in Spec-vP with the consequence that the verb will end up agreeing with the object rather than the subject, under the pressure of a strict locality constraint, whose manifestation is clearly evident in Austronesian languages. A variety of strategies are adopted in languages and by the acquirer to avoid this too strict locality constraint, depending on the global structure of the target language (whether it has morphological case, resumption, or Spec-head agreement).

Full Text
Paper version not known

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 call

Disclaimer: 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.