Right Node Raising and Negative Polarity Items in English

Right Node Raising and Negative Polarity Items in English

This paper argues that the distributively interpreted 'RNRed' shared material stems from the union process of joining together the first-conjunct and the second-conjunct right-edge elements which are generated separately at the right-edge of each conjunct at some point of derivation. We argue that the process is subject to the identity condition. If the first-conjunct and the second-conjunct right-edge elements have the same reference, one RNRed shared material appears at the right edge of the second-conjunct clause. However, if the first-conjunct and the second-conjunct right-edge elements have disjoint reference, they cannot be unified into one single term. The alternative option they can take is to employ a coordinating conjunction which combines them together. On the basis of the union process involved in the course of forming the RNR construction, we can account for the distribution of NPIs as the RNRed shared material. Before the first and the second conjunct right-edge elements are joined together, NPIs as the RNRed shared material meet the licensing condition as each of them is bound by a relevant licensing element in each conjunct. In that case they are legitimately unified into one single term. In other cases they can be joined together by the use of a coordinating conjunction in accordance with the identity condition. It has also been noted that the different [+Neg] and [-Neg] polarity items, albeit with distinct polarity features, can be unified into one term, which is also attested to in the union of the two bound variable pronouns with distinct index values.