Moira Yip

As a phonologist, I had less contact with Noam than the syntacticians, but one of my few syntax papers, before I chose phonology, was on verb-particles, and I remember Noam being surprisingly gentle with me in his comments. My syntax generals committee consisted of Noam, David Perlmutter and Joan Bresnan. At the time they were embroiled in a major theoretical schism, so I sat quietly while they argued amongst themselves, and then time ran out and they passed me. He once consulted me on the proper way to address an Anglican bishop who had written to him: he assumed that as a Brit I must be au fait with all matters of etiquette, but I am pretty sure I had to go to the library (no internet back then) and look up the answer. Noam, I am lucky to have had you as a teacher and an inspiration. Thank you.