Summary:

This talk looks at a way to break new ground in syntactic theory by
reconceptualising the principles-and-parameters approach to comparative
syntax, retaining its strengths and attempting to deal with its perceived
weaknesses. The central idea is to organize the parameters of Universal
Grammar (UG) into hierarchies, which define the ways in which properties of
individually variant categories may act in concert; this creates macroparametric
effects from the combined action of many microparameters. The highest
position in a hierarchy defines a macroparameter, a major typological property,
lower positions define successively more local properties. Parameter-setting in
language acquisition starts at the highest position as this is the simplest choice;
acquirers will "move down the hierarchy" when confronted with primary
linguistic data (PLD) incompatible with a high setting. Hence the hierarchies
simultaneously define learning paths and typological properties.
            I will introduce five hierarchies: those determining word-order, null
arguments, word structure, discourse-configurationality and case/agreement
alignment. These five hierarchies, although not exhaustive, combine to give a
typological footprint of many languages, as well as providing the basis for the
study of the interaction of micro- and macroparameters. In this way, the
criticism that formal comparative syntax has little to offer typological studies
can potentially be answered. Lastly, a more purely theoretical component of the
talk aims to show that the nature of the hierarchies is determined, not directly
by UG, but by UG interacting with domain-general principles of simplicity and
efficiency.