Principles and Parameters in a VSO Language A Case Study in Welsh

This is the first book-length study of Welsh syntax in English using minimalist theory. The central empirical issue addressed is an analysis of word order and clause structure in Welsh, within the context of the Principles and Parameters theory and Welsh as a VSO language. Roberts's central question: Which values of which parameters of Universal Grammar determine VSO order? To answer it, he makes use of parameters whose values are rooted in considerations of typology and language acquisition. Along the way, he shows that Chomsky's recent conception of the Extended Projection Principle is highly relevant, although it requires a slightly more abstract formulation.
Roberts's careful use of parameters, his unique cross-linguistic coverage between Welsh and Romance languages, and his reformulation of the Extended Projection Principle make this book of interest to linguists concerned with generative theory and comparative syntax.

Introducing a lucid and succinct analysis of the main syntactic properties of Welsh, Roberts puts forward a general analysis of clause structure, agreement, case-marking, and other phenomena. He also provides us with a comparative analysis of these phenomena in relation to other Celtic languages, Germanic and Romance languages, and English. The study of P&P theory is unprecedented, and this monograph will be a strong addition to the Oxford Studies in Comparative Syntax series.