Parallelism in Labeling between (Free) Relativitization and Coordinate Conjunction

Abstract

This paper examines the long-standing issue of syntactic projection/ labeling in free relatives (FRs) of English. Pointing out some drawbacks on Chomsky’s (2013) recent labeling analysis of FRs, we suggest that labeling of FRs can be accounted for more effectively on a par with his (2013) analysis of coordinate structure. Specifically, both the morphologically simple elements that head FRs, such as what, where, when, and the morphologically complex -ever forms like whoever, serve the ambiguous role of relative head and relative operator. They thus determine the label of the resulting construction they build merging with the following FR-forming complementizer. In essence, this complementizer in FRs behaves like Conj, which as Chomsky suggests is ‘not available as a label,’ and therefore the moved element occupying its Spec position in FRs projects itself up to the resulting construction.