Stacking, Stranding, and Pied‐Piping: A Proposal about Word Order

Abstract

Abstract. It is assumed that verbal stems and their suffixal inflection come together by phrasal movement—specifically, remnant‐VP preposing. Remnant‐VP preposing is analyzed as two movements: the “evacuation” of a V’s complement out of the VP (termed stacking ), and the “evacuated” VP’s movement to the (immediate) left of Inflection for V to pick up inflection. The VP movement can strand or pied‐pipe the stacked material, giving rise to VO or OV order. The fact that sequences of Vs in the head‐final order cannot be “interrupted” by scrambled material is shown to be a consequence of the stacking analysis. The position of Focus in VO and OV languages is also explained in this way. Stacking and VP preposing can be separated by merge of other elements than Inflection in some languages, although not in others. French allows such anticipatory stacking and English does not—giving rise to their seeming difference regarding “V raising.”