LINGUIST List 13.2408

Mon Sep 23 2002

Disc: Do We Need a Replacement for *(...)

Editor for this issue: Karen Milligan <karenlinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Yury Lander, RE: Disc: Do We Need a Replacement for *

Unlike Dan Everett (Linguist 13.2407), I almost completely agree with
Tim Stowell in that ''there is a real difference between a marginally
acceptable example and a completely unacceptable one'' 
(Linguist 13.2404). If Tim Stowell is right, however, then we need 
two systems of notation: one (*) is for unacceptable examples and
another (indeed, gradual) (??? > ?? > ? > ... > + > ++ > +++) for
MORE or LESS acceptable. I doubt, however, if such degrees of
acceptability are relevant for most syntacticians.

What can be relevant, however, is the DEFAULT form (or DEFAULT
semantics, since * and ? are also used sometimes in respect to
meanings), and this certainly looks for its own marker.

All the best,

Yura