Video 19.1: External Merge

[@sidraharoon9422]

Awesome explanation

[@lancepymble6280]

At 14:31 you explain that 'Rosita' and 'peanuts' are simultaneously phrases and heads but then the lowest DP has two heads since 'the' is also a head. I don't understand how there can be two heads in the one phrase. I wish the textbook would arrive, as it probably explains the dilemma...

[@CarnieSyntaxthEdition]

The term "head" is often used ambiguously in Syntax. It can mean "The thing that gives it's category to the phrase (so a D is the head of a DP, A V is a head of a VP etc). The other meaning, confusingly can mean "not a phrase" or alternately "word". In this video the term is being used in the latter sense. The DP "The peanuts" has only one categorial head ("the"), which is reflected in the label on top of "the peanuts". Peanuts is the categorial head of the NP "Peanuts", which is a dependent of the DP. So the DP only has one "head" in this sense. But in terms of the "functioning as a terminal" sense, The peanuts has two terminals "The" and "peanuts". "Peanuts" is simultaneously a head (qua terminal) and a phrasal element (dominated by something else it doesn't share a category with (the DP). But only "the" is the head in the categorial sense of the word. Sorry this terminology is confusing -- not my fault! But what's happening is you are understandably confusing these two independent notions of what a "head" is.

[@lancepymble6280]

Thank you for that detailed explanation. I am so grateful you made this wonderful series publicly available. I tried watching some of Chomsky's technical videos but could not understand them. Your explanations are clear and susinct and I wish I could take your course but I live in Australia. This series is the next best thing, thank you sincerely for all the effort you put into this.

[@lancepymble6280]

PS. My copy of the text is coming on Monday!