N inflections and their interpretation: Neuter –o and plural –a in Italian varieties

This article is placed within the syntactic framework of Chomsky (1995, 2000, 2001, 2013). We assume that the same basic computational mechanisms underlie syntax and morphology, as in Distributed Morphology (DM, Halle and Marantz 1993). However, we assume that there is no separate Morphological Structure component in the sense of Halle and Marantz (1993: 114–115 ff.), capable of rearranging the syntax prior to vocabulary insertion. In other words, the syntax projects structures from actual lexical items – and no operations not licenced by a minimalist syntax (e.g. Impoverishment) can take place before lexical insertion. This stance is generally deemed to be too strong – but see Kayne (2010), Manzini and Savoia (2007, 2011) for arguments that it is quite sufficient (and necessary) to account for significant portions of the morphosyntax of Romance languages, for instance mesoclisis.