Modal movement licensed by focus
This paper investigates the high position of root
modals (such as keyi ‘may’) in Chinese, and its
interaction with focus interpretations. We address a long-standing
puzzle concerning their position: A-not-A questions appear to
exceptionally license an otherwise unavailable high position of root
modals preceding subjects and/or topics. Upon closer examination, we
observe that (i) A-not-A questions do not always license the high
position of root modals and that (ii) the position of focus plays a
crucial role in licensing high modals. We propose that root modals
undergo head movement across a focused element to the high position,
and this movement is constrained by a focus version of output
economy.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.High root modals and focus
- 2.1Focus interpretations
- 2.2A-not-A questions and polarity questions
- 3.Previous approaches to high root modals
- 3.1Base generation approaches
- 3.2The interpretation of high root modals
- 4.A movement approach
- 4.1Modal movement and the calculation of the focus set
- 4.2A-not-A questions and focus reading
- 5.Conclusion
-
Acknowledgments
-
Abbreviations
-
Notes
-
References
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