Assuming that ( (a verb in the case under study) emerges from the lexicon fully inflected, its features are then checked against the inflectional element I in the complex [( I]. Technically, ( adjoins to the lowest I to form the complex [I ( I] and then this complex continues to raise to the next higher inflectional element. After multiple adjunctions, ( will still be in the checking domain of the highest I (Chomsky 1993; 47, fn.31).
On this issue, this paper will demonstrate how in the process of developing inflectional morphology and functional projections, Creoles instantiate specific morpho-syntactic constraints which shed a new light on a crucial typological generalization: Creoles which develop inflection, develop V-raising (even where there is no evidence of AgrP, so only V0 to T0), whereas Creoles without tense inflection do not display verb movement. The examination of V-features or properties of ( (as V) in Creoles will lead to new conclusions in terms of their typological categorization and that of other languages. Furthermore, while syntacticians have been mostly preoccupied with the syntactic effects of the loss of verbal morphology (as with the English language), the reverse trend should be examined when languages such as Creoles develop Tense inflection.
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About the PLC23 Committee
Previously held Penn Linguistics Colloquium: PLC22 (1998), PLC21 (1997)
Penn Department of Linguistics
University of Pennsylvania