Late Merger in Modal Superlatives: The Case of Levantine Arabic

Abstract

We present and analyze a pattern of modal superlative constructions in Levantine Arabic (LA) with an asymmetrical behavior: while the modal construct state superlative construction is ambiguous between the regular modifier and modal superlative readings, the modal attributive superlative is unambiguous and the only reading it has is the regular modifier reading. We propose an explanation for the asymmetry in terms of the (in)applicability of Late Merger of the modal adjective which is, as shown, a necessary compositional stage in deriving the modal superlative reading. Keywords: Attributive Modal Superlatives, Construct State Modal Superlatives, Late Merger, Modal Superlative Reading.