Camdzic, A.; (2004) On the syntax of long verb movement. Doctoral thesis , University of London.

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Abstract

The topic of this thesis is the construction known as Long Verb (Head) Movement (LVM). It is illustrated below, with data taken from Serbo-Croat, which is also the main language under discussion. (1a) illustrates the underlying order of verbs, (1b) and (1c) are patterns generated by LVM. In the (b) example, V2 is preposed over V1, while in the (c) example V3 crosses over the sequence of two verbal elements i.e. V1 and V2. LVM has several properties suggestive of head chain formation: (i) it is clause bound, (ii) it results in adjacency between V1 and the fronted verb, (iii) it is incompatible with VP fronting, etc. If LVM constructs X0 chains, then it also involves a violation of the Head Movement Constraint (HMC). Therefore, the major theoretical issue LVM data raise is that of the locality of head movement. (a) Petar je bio svirao celo. V1 V2 V3 Peter-nom aux been played cello-acc 'Peter had played the cello.'(b) Bio je svirao celo. V2 V1 V3 (c) Svirao je bio celo. V3V1 V2 In this thesis I argue that the data in question need not be analysed as non-local X0 displacement. I recognise two types of LVM: local LVM as in (1b), and non-local LVM as in (1c). I argue that local LVM should be understood as head movement. For these data an analysis which does not involve a violation of the HMC, either by long head movement, or excorporation, is available. Non-local LVM, on the other hand, is argued to be remnant VP displacement. I show that several properties of these constructions can be understood by assuming certain restrictions on the lower bound of locality of XP movement.

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