Lecturer Andrew McInnerney recently published, alongside 2022 Linguistics PhD alum Yushi Sugimoto, in Cambridge University Press Elements in Generative Syntax. The monograph is co-authored with Professor Noam Chomsky (U. of Arizona/MIT) and other faculty including professors T. Daniel Seely and Hisatsugu Kitahara.
Title: Merge and the Strong Minimalist Thesis
Authors: Noam Chomsky, T. Daniel Seely, Robert C. Berwick, Sandiway Fong, M. A. C. Huybregts, Hisatsugu Kitahara, Andrew McInnerney, Yushi Sugimoto
DOI: 10.1017/9781009343244
Abstract: The goal of this contribution to the Elements series is to closely examine Merge, its form, its function, and its central role in current linguistic theory. It explores what it does (and does not do), why it has the form it has, and its development over time. The basic idea behind Merge is quite simple. However, Merge interacts, in intricate ways, with other components including the language’s interfaces, laws of nature, and certain language-specific conditions. Because of this, and because of its fundamental place in the human faculty of language, this Element’s focus on Merge provides insights into the goals and development of Generative Grammar more generally, and its prospects for the future.
