a.
biz-ler-(*in)
we-PL-*GEN
için/gibi/kadar/-lA
for/like/as.much.as/with
'for/like/as much as/with us'
b.
siz-ler-(*in)
2.PL-PL-*GEN
için/gibi/kadar/-lA
for/like/as.much.as/with
'for/like/as much as/with you(pl)'
| Aslı Kuzgun, 2026
○ The Spanish
complex interrogative
pronouns el qué and
lo qué are formed by adding the masculine singular definite article
el 'the' (e.g.,
el libro 'the book') or the so-called "neuter article"
lo (e.g.,
lo que piensas 'what you think') to the neuter interrogative pronoun
qué.
Qué is the standard form in both spoken and written Spanish, and it is used across-the-board, whereas
el qué and
lo qué are non-standard features of colloquial spoken Spanish.
El qué is used in spoken language in all Spanish speaking countries and, at least in European Spanish, at all social levels.
Lo qué is only
found in Spain, Argentina, and Uruguay. In Spain and Argentina, this
complex pronoun is highly stigmatized, and is mainly used by speakers from rural areas or low social levels. In Uruguay,
lo qué is also a non-standard form, but, in contrast to European and Argentinian Spanish, it is frequently used in informal conversational situations by speakers of all social and cultural levels, including educated speakers. | Luis Eguren and Cristina Sánchez López,
2026
COMPLEX XP CONSTRAINT
- (Syntax)
The Complex XP Constraint (where X ≠ non-ergative V)
Extraction out of complements of lexical heads is disallowed.
| Željko Bošković, 2019
- (Syntax) Bošković argues that the Complex NP Constraint—which bans extraction from the clausal complement of N—holds more generally for all complements of nouns, and extends it to cases involving adjectives and prepositions (this is the Complex XP Constraint). He shows that extraction out of the complement of As and Ps is disallowed (see Bošković, 2015 for additional cases). (1) shows this: how (1a) and of whom (1b) cannot be extracted from phases that are themselves complements of phases.
- a. ? * How is he [AP=Phase proud [CP=Phase that Bill hired John t]]?
b. ? * Of who(m) did you read [PP=Phase about [DP=Phase friends t]]?
| Gabriel Martínez Vera, 2021
- (Syntax) Given complex NP being defined as 'a noun modified by a clause':
The Complex NP Constraint (CNPC)
Extraction from complex NPs is disallowed.
When properly generalized the CNPC represents a pervasive pattern found in a number of contexts. In particular, extraction is banned not only from
clausal but all nominal complements. Furthermore, APs and PPs pattern with NPs. This means that with the exception of Vs, extraction is banned from complements of
lexical heads. Hence,
The Complex XP Constraint (where X ≠ V)
Extraction out of complements of lexical heads is disallowed.
| Željko Bošković, 2015
- (Examples)
○ As this extraction violates the PIC and anti-locality. Or this is referred to as
Complex XP Constraint (Bošković 2015), under which extraction cannot be taken from the inside of an element of a phase. | Shilong Wang, 2025
○ The Complex XP Constraint is very briefly illustrated with extraction from the clausal complement of lexical heads in (1)–(5). (The relevant heads are underlined.) Such extraction is allowed only from a non-ergative V-complement (1), not from an N-, A-, P-, or ergative V-complement (2)–(5).
- Howi did you [VP think [CP that [IP a dog bit John ti]]]? (non-ergative CP)
- * Howi did you hear [NP rumors [CP that [IP John bought a house ti]]]? (NP)
- * Howi/Whyi are you [AP proud [CP that John hired Mary ti]]? (AP)
-
* ¿Cómoi
how
se
CL
acordó
(s)he.remembered
[PP
de
of
[CP
que
that
[Pedro
Pedro
preparaba
prepared.IMPF
la
the
comida
food
ti
]]]?
(Spanish, PP)
- a. * Howi did it [VP depress Mary [that John fixed the car ti]]?
b. * Howi did it [VP depress Mary [that John was fired ti]]? (ergative VP)
| Željko Bošković, 2017
Page Last Modified August 30, 2026