Nanosyntax and the Lexicalization Algorithm

This book presents the latest research in the Nanosyntax framework, a late-insertion theory based on the idea that the elementary building blocks of syntactic trees are limited to single features. The features are assembled by means of syntax and lexicalized by means of phrasal lexicalization and the lexicalization algorithm, a simple, constrained, and algorithmic process of externalization of syntactic structures. The chapters in this volume are divided into four parts that each contribute to a better understanding of the framework as a whole and of the lexicalization algorithm in particular. The case studies in Part I use the lexicalization algorithm to probe for the underlying ingredients of the functional sequence, while those in Part II take a closer look at the structural nature of prefixes and how they differ from suffixes, exploring the complications related to their derivation. Part III investigates the finer detail of the algorithm, presenting its most recent innovations, in order to resolve some challenging data patterns relating to (apparent) non-local allomorphy, neutralization, ABA-patterns, and theme vowels. The volume's final part looks forward to new avenues of investigation, with chapters on phonologically-conditioned allomorphy, selection, and multilingual settings.