While much has been written on asymmetric aspects of sentence structure, symmetric aspects have been largely ignored, or claimed to be non-existent. Does symmetry in syntax exist, and if it does, how do we account for it? Barbara Citko sets out to tackle these questions and offers a unified approach to a number of phenomena that have so far been studied only in isolation. Focusing on three core minimalist mechanisms: merge, move and labeling, she advances a new theory of these mechanisms, by showing that under certain well-defined circumstances merge can create symmetric structures, move can...

Phase Theory is the latest empirical and conceptual innovation in syntactic theory within the Chomskyan generative tradition. Adopting a cross-linguistic perspective, this book provides an introduction to Phase Theory, tracing the development of phases in minimalist syntax. It reviews both empirical and theoretical arguments in favor of phases, and examines the role phases play at the interface with semantics and phonology. Analyzing current phasehood diagnostics, it applies them in a systematic fashion to a broad range of syntactic categories, both phases and non-phases. It concludes with a...