On the Nonexistence of Asymmetric DOM in Spanish

Abstract

Kalin and Weisser (2019) observe that Spanish, among other differential-object-marking (DOM) languages, allows for what they call asymmetric DOM in coordination, that is, a DP coordinate structure in which an unmarked DP and a marked DP are conjoined. Given that coordinate structures are islands, asymmetric DOM challenges movement analyses for DOM. Yet we show that alleged cases of asymmetric DOM in Spanish do not involve DP-coordination; rather, they involve coordination of a larger structure plus TP-ellipsis. Evidence involves binding, extraction, fragment answers, and association with focus. We conclude that asymmetric DOM does not exist in Spanish, a fact consonant with movement analyses.