Merge over Move and the empirical force of economy in Minimalism

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the origins and history of economy principles in Minimalist syntax, and investigates the empirical justification of one particular economy principle, Merge over Move (MOM). It is argued that the principle is not well-supported empirically or conceptually, and that the primary examples that motivated the introduction of the principle can be accounted with other, alternative analyses. The residual phenomenon of subject control into adjuncts in English is then addressed, an empirical domain where Hornstein (2001) has argued MOM derives the correct empirical results. This specific critique of the MOM principle is embedded in a broader discussion of economy principles and the ad hoc nature of their proposal in much previous work. It is argued that a “unified” economy, operating broadly in the grammar and subsuming more specific principles, remains elusive. Finally, some potential theoretical consequences of abandoning MOM are examined.