On the nature of Welsh unbounded dependencies

⿢Provides a detailed discussion of gaps and resumptive pronouns in Welsh unbounded dependencies.⿢Highlights problems for transformational approaches.⿢Develops an HPSG analysis in which resumptive pronouns are ordinary pronouns.

Welsh has a variety of unbounded dependency constructions which involve both gaps and resumptive pronouns (RPs). Gaps and RPs differ in their distribution but otherwise are quite similar. This suggests that they involve the same mechanism. Within a transformational approach it suggests that both involve movement, a position which is difficult to implement. Within HPSG it suggests that both should be analyzed as realizations of the SLASH feature. It is not difficult to develop an analysis of this kind. It is possible to propose an analysis in which RPs are associated with the SLASH feature and are also the ordinary pronouns which they appear to be.