Exceptive constructions. A Dependency-based Analysis

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to provide a description of the syntax of exceptive constructions within a dependency framework. These constructions are introduced in English by the markers except, but, except for, apart from, other than, etc. Examining their syntactic properties across a variety of languages shows that they imply two main types of constructions: The paradigmatic - EC and the hypotactic - EC. The first type shares many properties with coordination, and it can be integrated into the paradigmatic lists/piles phenomena in which two segments of the utterance pile up on the same syntactic position and whose most famous case is coordination.