The syntax of similative clauses: Insights from Germanic

In this contribution, I address the syntax of similative clauses in Germanic. Drawing mostly from English and German, I show that similative clauses pattern with prepositional relative clauses and hence are to be analysed as such. Specifically, I propose that the so-called parameter in similatives corresponds to the head complex of the relative clause that originates within the subordinate clause to then raise to the edge of it in line with the head-raising approach to relative clauses as originally proposed by Kayne (1994). The underlying syntactic structure I argue for in this contribution, as well as the derivation proposed for similative clauses is not specific to English and German, but should also hold for other Germanic varieties.