Deciphering Mirror Principle violations: Mechanisms behind the formation of preverbed verbal complexes in Modern Greek

Abstract The study explores instances of Mirror Principle violations, focusing on Modern Greek preverbs, i.e. prefixes and adverbial preverbs, and argues that these two types occupy different structural positions. I propose that prefixes occupy the P position in [Spec, VP], while adverbial preverbs function as Adv in the specifier of Functional Phrases ([Spec, FP] for some specific functional projection F). This argument is based on the observation that the morphemes forming verbal complexes in Modern Greek do not follow a strictly linear order. To explain how preverbed verbal complexes are formed in Modern Greek, the study introduces a framework involving three key mechanisms: Generalized Head Movement , Merger , and Doubling . The proposal examines the unique properties each type of preverb and the verbal complex they form. Furthermore, it considers other elements to the left of the verb stem, namely the past augment e -, to refine the analysis. Overall, the study sheds light on the complex structures of preverbs and their role in the formation of verbal complexes, offering novel insights into the processes underlying their formation.