Adjuncts from the Perspective of Merge

Adjuncts from the Perspective of Merge

We will investigate whether Pair-Merge (PM) is necessary in syntax to address adjunction. Given the Strong Minimalist Thesis (SMT), it is advocated that employing solely Merge as the structure building operation (SBO) is preferable to utilizing more complex operations. We will evaluate previous explanations of how Pair-Merge is manipulated under Merge and argue that such complex manipulations are merely stipulations. Consequently, we propose that adjuncts enter derivation independently of Pair-Merge. Furthermore, we contend that adjunct, like arguments, are visible to syntactic operations, as evidenced in c-command relations, labeling, and extraction. By excluding Pair-Merge and reducing reliance on stipulations, this study aims to simplify syntactic theory for adjuncts and supports economy principles.