Max elide and economy

Abstract

This paper examines Max Elide, the ban on deleting a smaller constituent in cases where deletion of a larger constituent is possible. One intriguing property is that Max Elide effects are observed when a remnant moves out of an ellipsis site via A′-movement but not when it does via A-movement. To capture this fact, Merchant's (2008) Max Elide condition is accompanied by an ad hoc proviso: elide the biggest deletable constituent if an elided constituent contains an A′-Trace. This paper tries to recapture Max Elide effects in terms of a general economy principle without recourse to such an ad hoc proviso.