Backward Raising

Abstract

Abstract. This paper documents and analyzes an instance of covert A‐movement, specifically covert subject‐to‐subject raising, in the Northwest Caucasian language Adyghe. We argue that Adyghe has a subject‐to‐subject raising construction in which the subject of an unaccusative verb’s complement clause undergoes A‐movement into the matrix clause, but it does so covertly. We refer to this phenomenon as backward raising. True backward raising is distinguished from apparent cases that have similar agreement patterns but do not show any of the other evidence for movement found in the Adyghe construction. We illustrate the contrast between true and apparent backward raising by comparing Adyghe to Greek. The existence of backward raising helps to adjudicate between various theories of covert movement. It supports a theory in which covert movement involves actual phrasal movement. Covert movement cannot be reduced to a long‐distance feature‐matching relation such as Agree (Chomsky 2000). Linguistic theory thus needs to incorporate both mechanisms.

Raisingand control

“…The choice of a particular copy for deletion may be determined by language specific properties or may be optional if both copies have all their features checked (Potsdam 2009). In addition to backward control, there is also initial cross--linguistic evidence for backward raising (in Northwest Caucasian, see Potsdam 2006, Potsdam andPolinsky 2012;and in Arabic, Haddad 2010), which reiterates the similarities between the two structures. However, the issue of copy deletion/retention is still…”

“…This copy--and--delete approach to movement is particularly relevant in the case of inverse (backward) raising, where the lower, not the higher copy of a movement chain is pronounced. Such raising has been attested at least in some languages (Haddad 2010;Potsdam and Polinsky 2012). We will return to the backward pattern in section 2.3, but here it is crucial to note that its analysis would be difficult without the copy and delete approach to movement.…”

Backward Control from Possessors

“…Backward control has also been attested in many languages (see Polinsky & Potsdam :176–177 for a list of languages that have backward‐control constructions). Potsdam & Polinsky () also find an instance of backward raising in Adyghe. Therefore, the typology of raising and control that is expected under the MTC and the Copy Theory of Movement is supported by empirical discoveries.…”

Lak Biabsolutives are Raising Structures

“…Following Potsdam and Polinsky (2012), I assume the viability of multiple case checking within raising structures; thus, Aux may assign its absolutive case feature to the closest DP in its c-command domaini.e. to the DP in Spec,AspP that later ends up appearing overtly in Spec,TP.…”