Split CP for Fronted Constituents in English

On the basis of evidence from the inversion patterns of topicalized constructions, wh-interrogatives and focalized constructions, whose constituents can be realized as the combination of one or more than one constituents successively in a clause, we propose that the CP layer of a clause be analyzed into a number of separate projections which are headed by Force, Topic, Focus, etc. respectively. Given split CP hypothesis, we can explain in principle the syntactic configuration of complex inversion which has such word order as a topicalized constituent＋a wh-word or a topicalized constituent＋a focalized constituent both in matrix and embedded clauses in OE, ME and Present-day English. Theoretically it is assumed that an unvalued feature receives its value via Agree, and Move is induced by an EPP-feature on the functional head in the theory of Minimalist program. The standard hypothesis of V2 has been analyzed as the movement of a tense verb to the head C, and then an XP to the Spec-CP, whereas in the revised V2 hypothesis that is based on the split CP analysis, an independent Focus head has a Focus-feature with an affixal tense-feature and an EPP-feature which makes it possible to move some lexical item to the Spec-FocusP headed by a lexicalized verb in order to yield new scopal or discourse-related properties. The derivational principle of topicalized construction is the same as that of focalized construction in that a Topic head has its own Topic-feature with an EPP-feature which attracts a topicalized constituent to the Spec-TopicP headed by a null spell-out verb in overt syntax.