Optionality and non-optionality of syntactic movement
(DGfS 2022)

Call for Papers:

We invite proponents of all syntactic frameworks for 30-minutes talks to discuss with us questions regarding theoretical means and concepts needed to derive variable word order phenomena that can be observed in the world’s languages. Some of the questions we would like to discuss are the following:

1. How can syntactic theories implement optional movement?

2. Is optional movement in fact variable base generation?

3. Is what appears to be optional movement actually the result of imprecise generalizations or the result of speaker differences, that is, is there pseudo-optionality?

4. How can we differentiate between real optionality and pseudo-optionality?

5. Does optional movement correlate with other properties of a language, e.g. the basic word order (SVO vs. SVO)?

6. Are optional movement rules language specific or universal?

7. How is optionality and non-optionality connected to the types of movement (A-bar vs. A-movement, leftward movement vs. rightward movement, etc.)?

8. Can movement constraints (like island constraints) be subject to optionality?

Abstract Guidelines:

Abstracts, including examples and figures, must not exceed two A4 pages with 1-inch margins on all sides, and be set in Times New Roman with at least 11-point font throughout, including captions, footnotes, and references. References may appear on a third page. Examples, tables, graphs, etc. should be interspersed into the text of the abstract, rather than collected at the end. Abstracts should be submitted as a PDF. Submissions are limited to at most one single-authored submission and one joint-authored submission per author.

Abstracts should be submitted via email to dgfs.2022.movement@gmail.com by September 01, 2021

Important Deadlines:

Deadline for abstract submission: September 01, 2021

Notification: September 15, 2021

Workshop: February 23-25, 2022