Structure Building That Can't Be

This chapter proposes and explores a "new" deduction of cyclic Transfer. A new account of cyclic Transfer is motivated since Chomsky's (2007, 2008) "valuation-induced" account has both conceptual and empirical problems. The proposal is guided by strict adherence to: Strong Minimalist Thesis (optimal satisfaction of the interfaces) and 3rd factor considerations. There is one necessary, and simple, structure building operation, Merge. Minimizing search, External Merge can apply only to root nodes. Internal Merge can apply only if all External Merges have been exhausted. Internal Merge, based on the simplest form of Merge, creates structures which trigger Transfer. cyclic Transfer is then a natural and immediate consequence of strict adherence to SMT and 3rd factor.