Case Licensing and Scrambling

Abstract

In this paper I argue that scrambling is case-driven just like standard A-movement, cf. Chomsky (1986). This claim is based on my analysis of Korean data involving case and word order possibilities in event nominal clauses. The intricacy of the data serves to constrain certain details concerning case licensing which have been so far left underdetermined. It leads to the conclusion that (both subject and object) arguments have to move out of VP for case licensing, and that the scrambling phenomenon is a consequence of the case-driven movement of arguments. This analysis of scrambling is consistent with the basic economy of derivation assumption in Chomsky (1986, 1991, 1992: 45) that operations are driven by necessity.