The Agreement Parameter (Collins 2004)

In this  paper, I will investigate the  relationship between agreement and movement by taking a close look  at agreement in the Bantu languages, focussing on Kiswahili. I propose that agreement in Kiswahili is always accompanied by internal Merge, but that there can be agreement without internal Merge in English. This analysis accounts for deep and systematic differences between these languages. In terms of the notion of trigger, the results of my paper suggest that although agreement does not trigger movement in English, agreement does trigger movement in Bantu.

The Agreement Parameter

Collins, Chris. 2004. The Agreement Parameter. In Anne Breitbarth and Henk van Riemsdijk (eds.), Triggers, 115-136. Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin.