On the homogeneity of syntax: How similar do coordinates and subordinates look to the comprehension system?

Chapter 5 in Time and Again: Theoretical perspectives on formal linguistics, edited by William D. Lewis, Simin Karimi, Heidi Harley, Scott O. Farrar. Chapter abstract: Our goal here is to explore an unusual approach to the long-standing problem of coordination in natural language — the problem of accommodating subordinate and coordinate structures within a consistent and empirically sound syntax. In what follows we’ll offer a brief overview of the problem and identify a central assumption about the syntax of coordinates (the Homogeneity Thesis) that seems to be very widely shared by investigators working on coordination regardless of their theoretical orientation. We will then review some recent experimental results that seem to clash with certain implications of the Homogeneity Thesis. Though the evidence reviewed here is far from definitive, we argue that serious consideration of alternatives to the Homogeneity Thesis is in order. Book description: This volume is a collection of papers that highlights some recurring themes that have surfaced in the generative tradition in linguistics over the past 40 years. The volume is more than a historical take on a theoretical tradition; rather, it is also a compass pointing to exciting new empirical directions inspired by generative theory. In fact, the papers show a progression from core theoretical concerns to data-driven experimental investigation and can be divided roughly into two categories: those that follow a syntactic and theoretical course, and those that follow an experimental or applied path. Many of the papers revisit long-standing or recurring themes in the generative tradition, some of which seek experimental validation or refutation. The merger of theoretical and experimental concerns makes this volume stand out, but it is also forward looking in that it addresses the recent concerns of the creation and consumption of data across the discipline