Lingua et Linguistica
Vol. 1.1, 2007
ISBN 978-1-84753-625-9

On the Categorial Issue of Coordination

Niina Ning Zhang
National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan

Abstract

This paper presents cross-linguistic facts showing that coordinators can c-select conjuncts. In coordinate complexes headed by and-like coordinators, the first conjunct determines the category of the whole coordinate complex, whereas in complexes headed by coordinators that show c-selectional restrictions, the last conjunct does. We propose that conjuncts valuate the categorial features of coordinators. Moreover, since coordinate complexes neither are found to have any new distribution other than that of the currently recognized categories, nor neutralize the contrasts of the currently recognized categories, they cannot represent any independent category. We conclude that there is no &P.

pp. 7-45

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