[Ads-l] Sluicing

[Geoffrey Nathan]

The term dates from an earlier period in generative syntax in which syntactic objects moved past other constituents over considerable distance. The image of a sluice-gate was definitely intended to be evoked, but perhaps those who were more deeply embedded in the 1970s syntactic ethos could elucidate without having to break out all the old texts. And yes, I think Haj Ross was the coiner.


Geoff


Geoffrey S. Nathan
WSU Information Privacy Officer (Retired)
Emeritus Professor, Linguistics Program
http://blogs.wayne.edu/proftech/

geoffnathan at wayne.edu

Nobody at Wayne State will EVER ask you for your password. Never send it to anyone in an email, no matter how authentic the email looks.


________________________________
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of W Brewer <brewerwa at GMAIL.COM>
Sent: Monday, October 23, 2017 2:01 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Sluicing

---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Poster:       W Brewer <brewerwa at GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Sluicing
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Dear linguists,
     I understand that yer use of <sluicing> is "a type of ellipsis that
occurs in both direct and indirect interrogative clauses. The ellipsis is
introduced by a wh-expression, whereby in most cases, everything except the
wh-expression is elided from the clause. Sluicing has been studied in
detail in recent years and is therefore a relatively well understood type
of ellipsis.[1]"  Wp's footnote 1 implicates Ross 1969 as possible
originator.
     Q:  What the h*** does the word <sluice> have to do with post-wh
deletion? Was it a spelling error for <slicing> & nobody dared to correct
him or what? I just can't picture a water chute in this usage. Snipping &
clipping have a less watery connotation, anyways.
     Ah gotsta no.
Sincerely,
WB

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