One module, different levels of merge: ANN-compounds in Dutch

Abstract

In this article we provide empirical evidence against the claim that morphology contrasts with syntax in dealing with items that are listed in the lexicon. (Jackendoff 1975, Aronoff 1976, Jensen and Stong-Jensen 1984). More specifically, we distinguish between three types of ANN compounds in Dutch. We show that the structural properties of these types do not show a one-to-one mapping with lexical properties, such as having a listed or even idiomatic meaning (see DiSciullo & Williams 1987). On the basis of this, we argue that conclusions on the structure of certain morphologically complex word-forms should be based on structural properties and not on lexical properties such as idiomaticity or being lexicalized. We propose a syntactic derivation for all types of ANN compounds in Dutch (pace Ackema and Neeleman 2004). Structural differences follow from the level of merge: what we traditionally call morphology is syntax below the functional domain.