PSU Morpho-Syn Syndicate talk: Heather Newell and Craig Sailor

On Monday 12, Heather Newell (UQAM) and Craig Sailor (University of Edinburgh) will give a talk with the title Inclusiveness, the Interface, and the Prosodic Hierarchy.

Abstract

There is a recurrent debate in the literature over whether computation at the syntax-phonology interface is Direct Reference (can see the syntax) or Indirect Reference (mediated by the Prosodic Hierarchy). We take this to be a false dichotomy: alternatives to both direct reference and the PH (such as the initial CV in Lowenstamm 1996, Scheer 2004) should be pursued instead, since the former both violate Modularity.

Focusing on the PH in this talk, we argue that it should be ruled out on grounds that the PH violates Inclusiveness within the phonology—a property that only comes to light only when one is forced to be explicit about where and how the PH is constructed within a Minimalist, strictly-modular framework. We support this novel claim with arguments from interface phenomena involving ellipsis and epenthesis domains. We conclude that pursuit of alternatives to the PH is not only desirable, but also essential, if the architecture of grammar is to be both Minimalist and strictly modular.

If you wish to participate, you can use this link