Definitions
Sorry, no definitions found. Check out and contribute to the discussion of this word!
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word pied piping.
Examples
-
But sometimes multiple words move left, a phenomenon the linguist John Roberts Ross PhD ’67 identified and called “pied piping” in his MIT dissertation.
Have you heard about the “whom of which” trend? Peter Dizikes | MIT News 2023
sionnach commented on the word pied piping
the phenomenon that when a wh-phrase is moved, it can optionally 'drag along' a larger NP or PP in which it is contained. EXAMPLE: next to (1a), (1b) and (1c) are also possible.
(i) a This is the book (NP which) I have designed (NP the covers
(PP of t))
b This is the book (PP of which) I have designed (NP the covers t)
c This is the book (NP the covers of which) I have designed t
In some cases, Pied Piping is obligatory, due to the Left Branch Condition.
October 14, 2009
qroqqa commented on the word pied piping
Example of obligatory pied-piping:
These are the books most of whose covers I have designed.
October 14, 2009
dontcry commented on the word pied piping
Can you guys pipe down? We trying to be quiet over here....
October 16, 2009