Start Date
29-9-2019 11:30 AM
Description
The purpose of this paper is to explore the syntax of ellipsis in Iraqi Arabic. The paper sheds light on three types of ellipsis in Arabic and English, namely: sluicing, gapping, and stripping and puts each of them in a comparison between Iraqi Arabic and English languages in addition to Arabic dialects. To the best of my knowledge, these elliptical structures have not been studied in Iraqi Arabic before. Therefore, this study offers the first description of these phenomena from a generative standpoint. The paper argues that the three types of ellipsis mentioned above can be the result of Phonological Form (PF)-deletion and not Logic Form (LF) copying. For example, sluicing exists in Iraqi Arabic which is derived by wh-movement followed by Tense Phrase (TP) deletion at PF. Moreover, pseudosluicing exhibits a challenge to the preposition stranding generalization. Data show that pseudosluicing is allowed even when preposition in Iraqi Arabic cannot be stranded in regular wh-questions. Moreover, gapping occurs through Across-The-Board (ATB) movement to low-coordination construction of two vPs. The data of this study also shows that gapping in Iraqi Arabic has the three properties proposed by Johnson (2009). Finally, stripping can be derived by the movement of the remnant out of TP plus deletion of that TP at the PF boundary similar to Depiante (2000), Merchant (2003) and Kolokonte (2008) proposals. Based on facts of binding and p-stranding properties, stripping can be derived by the movement of the remnant to the left periphery followed by TP deletion.
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Ellipsis in Iraqi Arabic: An Analysis of Gapping, Sluicing, and Stripping
The purpose of this paper is to explore the syntax of ellipsis in Iraqi Arabic. The paper sheds light on three types of ellipsis in Arabic and English, namely: sluicing, gapping, and stripping and puts each of them in a comparison between Iraqi Arabic and English languages in addition to Arabic dialects. To the best of my knowledge, these elliptical structures have not been studied in Iraqi Arabic before. Therefore, this study offers the first description of these phenomena from a generative standpoint. The paper argues that the three types of ellipsis mentioned above can be the result of Phonological Form (PF)-deletion and not Logic Form (LF) copying. For example, sluicing exists in Iraqi Arabic which is derived by wh-movement followed by Tense Phrase (TP) deletion at PF. Moreover, pseudosluicing exhibits a challenge to the preposition stranding generalization. Data show that pseudosluicing is allowed even when preposition in Iraqi Arabic cannot be stranded in regular wh-questions. Moreover, gapping occurs through Across-The-Board (ATB) movement to low-coordination construction of two vPs. The data of this study also shows that gapping in Iraqi Arabic has the three properties proposed by Johnson (2009). Finally, stripping can be derived by the movement of the remnant out of TP plus deletion of that TP at the PF boundary similar to Depiante (2000), Merchant (2003) and Kolokonte (2008) proposals. Based on facts of binding and p-stranding properties, stripping can be derived by the movement of the remnant to the left periphery followed by TP deletion.