Published by De Gruyter Mouton

Volume 36 Issue 1

Issue of Theoretical Linguistics

Contents
Journal Overview

October 1, 2010

Parameters in minimalist theory: The case of Scandinavian

Anders Holmberg

Page range: 1-48

Abstract

The P&P theory of UG has come under heavy criticism, lately, from outside but also from inside generative grammar. The claim is that the search for ‘deep parameters’ underlying clusters of properties across languages has led nowhere, and should be given up. I have revisited a theory, now two decades old, which explained ten syntactic differences between Insular and Mainland Scandinavian as the effects of a single parametric difference (in a series of works by C. Platzack and A. Holmberg). The theory is shown to be fundamentally right, descriptively and theoretically. Later developments in generative theory only serve to sharpen the formulations, adding another layer of explanatory depth to the earlier theory. The conclusion is that there are parameters of the traditional kind. The problems encountered when the theory is tested on more distantly related languages is discussed on the basis of facts from Finnish. P&P theory is perfectly consistent with the minimalist approach to UG and variation when parameters are seen as points of under-specification in UG, and restrictions on variation are seen as, in part, third factor effects, in the sense of Chomsky (Linguistic Inquiry 36: 1–22, 2005).

October 1, 2010

Rich agreement, everything else being equal and large-scale cross-linguistic comparison

Östen Dahl, Maria Koptjevskaja-Tamm

Page range: 49-56

October 1, 2010

AGR and V2

Gunnar Hrafn Hrafnbjargarson, Anna-Lena Wiklund

Page range: 57-68

October 1, 2010

The logic of parametric theories

Terje Lohndal, Juan Uriagereka

Page range: 69-76

October 1, 2010

On the (in-)dependency of (micro-)parameters

Florian Schäfer

Page range: 77-83

October 1, 2010

Replies to comments

Anders Holmberg

Page range: 85-91

October 1, 2010

Edges and linearization: A reply

Tue Trinh

Page range: 93-110

About this journal

Theoretical Linguistics is an open peer review journal. Each issue contains one long target article about a topic of general linguistic interest, together with several shorter reactions, comments and reflections on it. With this format, the journal aims to stimulate discussion in linguistics and adjacent fields of study, in particular across schools of different theoretical orientations.