A Sibling Precedence Approach to the Linearization of Multiple Dominance Structures

A current trend in syntactic theory explores of the use of multiple dominance structures in the analysis of right-node raising and across-the-board movement, as well as in the formal description of movement. One effect of the introduction of multiple dominance structures is the complication of the mapping of syntactic structure to strings of terminals, as the multiply dominated element has syntactic dependencies in more than one location. In this paper, I propose that the nontangling condition of Partee et al. (1990) can be revised to permit the linearization of a range of multiple dominance structures. In addition, this revised nontangling condition restricts the possible configurations of multiple dominance structures and predicts a peripherality condition in sharing coordination constructions: elements shared between conjuncts must appear at the periphery of those conjuncts. In across-the-board movement, an element appearing at the left periphery of a coordinate structure appears to have syntactic and semantic dependencies in both conjuncts. In (1) Alexi is the subject of, and should is the modal for, both brine and bard. Alexi can be said to be shared between the conjuncts. Right node raising constructions reflect a rightward mirroring of across-the-board movement. In (1), the turkey and for Thanksgiving are shared between the conjuncts.