New theoretical syntax paper with Jae-Young shim on the status of categorial labeling and copies in Linguistic Research. PDF “In contrast to dominant views that the labeling algorithm (LA) detects (i) only the structurally highest copy of a moved object, or (ii) detects all copies, we propose and defend a third option: (iii) all copies…

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New paper published in Glossa on the ancient debate of whether language is optimally designed for cognition or communication. Language design and communicative competence: The minimalist perspective “In the Minimalist Program, the place of linguistic communication in language evolution and design is clear: It is assumed to be secondary to internalisation. I will defend this…

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New paper published in Biolinguistics on the nature of pragmatic unarticulated constituents and the syntax-semantics interface. “This paper explores the prospect that grammatical expressions are propositionally whole and psychologically plausible, leading to the explanatory burden being placed on syntax rather than pragmatic processes, with the latter crucially bearing the feature of optionality. When supposedly unarticulated…

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