Machine: Minimalist Derivations

Examples:

Japanese examples (Miyagawa 2001).
Implementation: Gustave Hahn-Powell and Sandiway Fong.

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Example Instruction stream (clickable) Notes
(1a) 鬼が花子を食った
oni-ga hanako-o kuu-ta
ogre-NOM hanako-ACC eat-PAST
(1b) 花子を鬼が食った
hanako-o oni-ga kuu-ta
hanako-ACC ogre-NOM eat-PAST
"The ogre ate Hanako"
[hanako, d, kuu, 'v*', [oni, d], 'Tpast', c] Basic subject/object scrambling.
Allow internal Merge to edge of T from either subject or object position.
(2a) 花子がサムにメールをした
hanako-ga samu-ni mēru-o suru-ta
hanako-NOM Sam-DAT mail-ACC do-PAST
(2b) メールを花子がサムにした
mēru-o hanako-ga samu-ni suru-ta
mail-ACC hanako-NOM Sam-DAT do-PAST
(2c) サムに花子がメールをした
samu-ni hanako-ga mēru-o suru-ta
Sam-DAT hanako-NOM mail-ACC do-PAST
"Hanako sent Sam an email"
[samu, d, suru, v, ['mēru', d], 'v*', [hanako, d], 'Tpast', c] Ditransitive frame. No FocP. v values dative Case.
Base order: Agent Theme Goal
(Assume ni-marked Goal is lower than Theme.)
Undergenerates: only 3 permutations possible:
(a) Agent Theme Goal,
(b) Theme Agent Goal, and
(c) Goal Agent Theme.
(3a) 花子がメールをサムにした
hanako-ga mēru-o samu-ni suru-ta
hanako-NOM mail-ACC Sam-DAT do-PAST
(3b) メールを花子がサムにした
mēru-o hanako-ga samu-ni suru-ta
mail-ACC hanako-NOM Sam-DAT do-PAST
(3c) サムに花子がメールをした
samu-ni hanako-ga mēru-o suru-ta
Sam-DAT hanako-NOM mail-ACC do-PAST
(3d) 花子がサムにメールをした
hanako-ga samu-ni mēru-o suru-ta
hanako-NOM Sam-DAT mail-ACC do-PAST
(3e) メールを花子がサムにした
mēru-o hanako-ga samu-ni suru-ta
mail-ACC hanako-NOM Sam-DAT do-PAST
(3f) サムにメールを花子がした
samu-ni mēru-o hanako-ga suru-ta
Sam-DAT mail-ACC hanako-NOM do-PAST
(3g) 花子がサムにメールをした
hanako-ga samu-ni mēru-o suru-ta
hanako-NOM Sam-DAT mail-ACC do-PAST
(3h) メールをサムに花子がした
mēru-o samu-ni hanako-ga suru-ta
mail-ACC Sam-DAT hanako-NOM do-PAST
(3i) サムに花子がメールをした
samu-ni hanako-ga mēru-o suru-ta
Sam-DAT hanako-NOM mail-ACC do-PAST
"Hanako sent Sam an email"
[samu, d, suru, v, ['mēru', d], 'v*', [hanako, d], foc, 'Tpast', c] Ditransitive frame. FocP with EF above v*P.
Base order: Agent Theme Goal
(Assume ni-marked Goal is lower than Theme.)
Overgenerates: 9 permutations, only 6 distinct:
initial 3 same as (2a-c).
(3d)=(3g), (3b)=(3e), (3c)=(3i)