Syntactic Aspects of Topic and Comment (Linguistik Aktuell Linguistics Today 38)

257 Pages·2000·43.25 MB·English

by  André Meinunger

SYNTACTIC ASPECTS OF TOPIC AND COMMENT
LINGUISTIK AKTUELL/LINGUISTICS TODAY
Linguistik Aktueil/Linguistic Today [LA] provides a platform
for original monograph studies into synchronic and
diachronic linguistics. Studies in LA confront empirical
and theoretical problems as these are currently discussed
in syntax, semantics, morphology, phonology, and
systematic pragmatics with the aim to establish robust
empirical generalizations within a universalistic perspective.
Series Editor
Werner Abraham
University of California at Berkeley
University ofVienna
Rijksuniversiteit Gtoningen
Advkory Editorial Board
Gugiitltno Cinque: [University ofVenice)
GLinther Crcwendoti GocuhoUniversity, Frankflirt)
LiJUme HatgOinan (Lfnivcrsity oi Lilit France)
,
Hubert Haider (Univtrsily ofSalzburg)
Christer Plaizack (LfniversUy oi' Lund)
Ian Robert (University ofStuttgart}
Ktn Safir (Rutgers University. New Brunswick N))
HfiykuldKr Thriiiisson (Lfniversity ofIcdindj Reykjavik)
Lisa JeMLna Travis {McGill University)
Sten Vikner [Univcrsily of StuM art)
C Un-Wouter Zwart (University ofGroningen)
.
Andre Memunger
Syntactic Aspects ofTopic and Comweni
SYNTACTIC ASPECTS
OF TOPIC AND COMMENT
ANDRE MEINUNGER
Zentmmjur AUgemeine Sprachwissenschaji, Berlin
)OHN BENJAMINS PUBLISHING COMPANY
AMSTERDAM / PHILADELPHIA
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Lihrjf) ofCoii ress Catjio in in-PubLic tion Diiti
Meiiiunger. Andre.
Syntatic aspects oftopic and comment / Andre tvfeinunger.
cm. - [Lingutstik aktueLl / Lin tstics today. ISSN oito-awx v. w\
p
.
Revisio]! ofthe authoi's thesis (Discourse depe]ide]it DP (de-Jplacement}. 15 4/1 5
Includes bibliographical refere]ice.s and indexes.
1 Grammar. Comparative and general--Topic and comment. 2. Grammar. Comparative and
.
general-Syntax. I. Title. IL. Ltnguistik alctuell ; Bd. ii.
4l5"dc2l -0 4203
ttiSN 0 272 27Sy 4 (CUli) j 1 55619 9&q y [til] (Hb; all?, paper)
® 2wu - John Benjamin?; B.V,
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Table of contents
Acknoulcdgmcnts ix
List of frequent ahhrc\ tiaiis Mi
Introduction: Sonic phiLosophical reflections - . 1
Chapter 1
Discourse dependent tree splitting II
1 ] Word order and intonation II
.
12 The encoding of sentence functional perspeclivie i4
J 3 Vallduvi s tripartition i7
.
J4 Topic-comment structures 18
.
14 1 Partee s proposal - Recursiveness in focus-background
. .
splitting IS
J4 2 A formal account of topic-comment strnctures (Kriilca
. .
1991/92) 20
14 3 Two immediate precursors of the theory delended in this book 24
. .
1 43 1 Diesing's mapping hypothesis 2A
. . .
1 4.3.2 De Hoop s theory of weak and strong Case 31
.
144 Focus theory and focus projection 33
. .
15 Summary 34
.
Chapter 2
The structure of the German VP 35
2 1 Configurational and non-configurattonal languages: The typological
.
classification of German 35
22 Lexical and functional categories 37
.
2 3 The base order: The projection oi" heads and arguments 39
.
23 1 Some assumptions about the syntactic encoding of argument
. .
structure - a syntax for lexical decomposition grammar . . . . 39
vi TABLE 01 CON I l:M S
2 32 On deriving an argument hierarchy 43
. .
24 What is the basic word order fin German)? 44
.
25 Focus projection as a diagnostic for basic word order 45
,
26 The strict word order hypothesis 4S
.
27 Some parallelisms with experiencer verb consmtctions 51
.
2K The DAT > ACC > DAT/PP asymmetry 52
.
29 Short summary 5C)
.
Chapter 3
A trigger for scramhimp r 61
3 1 Scrambling and scrambling theories 6J
.
32 A survey of the semantic impact of scrambling-positions and
.
conesponding in(orpretutions 64
3 2 1 indclinites 66
. .
3 22 Noun Phrases 74
. .
3 23 Dcftnites 76
. .
3 24 Strong L|LLantidicLttioiial noun phrases K3
. .
33 Overview 7
.
34 The common property of scriimbied constituents: The f+Topic]
.
feature W
3 4 1 What is a possible topic? 89
. .
3 42 Anaphoric DPs are not auloEuatically topics 91
. .
3 43 A better account for atelicity than de Hoop's 93
. .
35 Provisional summary 97
.
36 Agreement phrases as topic hosts 100
.
37 Summary 101
.
Chapter 4
Agr linden as topic hosts 103
4 1 The proposal 103
,
42 On the relationship between case and verbal agreement 103
.
43 The there-are-no-agreement-projections hypothesis 106
.
4 3 1 Tense and nonilnative 107
. .
4 32 Aspect and accusative 108
. .
4 33 For the independence of Agr heads Ill
. .
44 Agr projections as topic hosts 114
,
44 1 The semantics of Agr 114
. .
f'AULli OP CONTENTS vii
442 A parallel case: Catalan 115
. .
442 1 Tlie status of clitic-doubling and the structure ol" the
. . .
Catalan VP 115
4422 Striking similarities between clitic-doubting and
, .
scranTbling 120
443 Some remarks on the computation of focus 127
. .
44 3 1 ScIkirk1s theory of foeus projection 127
, , ,
4432 Cinque's 'Null Theory\ its problems and possible
. .
applications I2K
4433 Hie 'Null Hypothesis" and its impact for siring vacuous
. . .
seranibling J29
4434 Problems and speculations 131
. . .
45 The mapping 136
.
46 Problems with adjuncts J37
.
47 Speculations on A-movement eroding and the principle ol literal chy
.
preserving 140
48 Summary 156
.
Chapilk 5
The typological chapter 157
5 1 MorpJioknuoally diilereni cases for the direct object 153
.
52 Object agreement and topichood I6S
.
53 Word order, there-be effects and deacoenting 174
.
54 Summary and problems 177
.
Chapter 6
Notes on extraction 179
6 1 An account of XP-deplacement and the case of
.
relative clause extraposition IW
62 The GeneraIi/.ed Specificity Condition
.
62 1 Was-fur and wieviel spht \$5
. .
622 Quantifier split IS9
. .
623 ffft-extractkm 190
. .
624 Extraction from PP I9J
. .
625 The weakness of topic islands 192
. .
63 Factive islands 194
.
viii TABLt OF CONTENTS
64 Relative clause extraposition 199
6 4 1 Relathe clause extraposition and the validity of Ross1
. .
right roof constraint 199
6 42 Rightward movemem. islandhood and the generalized
. .
specificily condition . 202
642 1 The syntax of restrictive versus apposilive relative
. . .
clauses 202
6422 The extraction behavior of restrictive and appositive
. . .
relative clauses in German 207
64 23 Intermediate summary . 211
. . .
65 Speculations over an explanation for the Generalized Specificity
.
Condition 212
6 5 1 Syntactic explanations 212
. .
6 52 A semantic proposal 213
. .
66 A short summary 216
.
Chapter 7
Conclusions 221
References - . 225
Name index 239
Subject index 243
Acknowledgments
The present hook is <t strongly revised version of my dissertation ('Discourse
dependent DT (de-jpkieemenr under the direction of Qishcrt Fanselow imd
Bemhtird Dmbig). It was writion in the yean 1994/1995 and printed in 1996
as issue 39 of the "Groninger Arbeiten ztir germiinististhen Lingui tik". -Since
then, ib lot of changes hiive been made. A remaining; problem is the terminol-
ogy. In this book I have used the same no(ions us in my dissertation. It
should be noted thai the notions of 1topic1 and 'comment' here arc not
without problems. As far as one ean speak of a standard use of these notions,
their meaning diverges from it. A detailed eharaelcri/.alion of [his book's use
of the terms 'topic' tind 'comment' is laid down and expltiined ejtpiicitly
throughout all chapters.
Mmn ivopk haw helped mc lo nmve nt the ptopo.suls laid dou-n in Uij>
btHjk. It goes without saying that it would have been impossible to accom-
plish Ibis work without ongoing mspnation from numerous friends and
colleagues, I nume them here in alphabetical order. Thus, thanks to Wemer
Abraham, l cter Ackcma. David Adger, Artemis Alexiadou. Kai Alter. Daniel
Btiring, Diana Cresti, Klisa di Donienico, Sylkc Lichler Hans Martin
Giirmer. Dieter Gasde. Brigitla Haftka, Ken Hale, the late Karl Hrich
Heidoiph ( I ), Helen de Hoop, Angeliek van Houl, Roxana Ibsent Gerhard
Jiigei . Uwe Junghauns, Ursula Kleinhen . Wolodja KJimonow. Inga Kohi-
holf. Karen Latlewite. Taul Law, Sylvia Lohken, Christine Muaftcn. Karine
Megendoomian, Josep Quer. Henk van Riemsdijk, Jell Runner. Maaike
Stboor]emmer, Kerstin Sehwabe, Peggy Speas, Michal Slarke. Markus
Steinbach, Anatoli Stiigin, Ann Viniilkka. Hnrie Validuva, Sten Vikner, Rtdt'
VogeL Chris Wilder. Susanne Winkler, Use Zimermann,
F'inally. thanks go also to Ronald Hol/Juieker. Sue Olscn, Paul House-
-
man, Sue Powers, Claris WUder, and othei'.s for cheeking my English. Of
course, J am responsible for any mistakes and unciarities thtit may still arise
from my non-native English.
List of frequent abbrevations
ACD = Antecedent Conuiined Deletion
Agr = Agreement (morphology)
AS = Ai'gumcni Structure
Cbi = (!.\>nt];istive tlement
GQ = Generalised Quantitier
GT = Generalised rJ ransformLiiio s)
LCA = Linear Correspondence Axiom
LI = Lin Liisiic Inquiry-
LF = Logical Form
MH = Mtippin*; Hypothesis
NKC = Novcliy-KamiliLirity-Condition
NS = Nucleiir Scope
(JR = QujnEifier Raising
KC = Restrictive Clause (in Chapter 6: Kckttive CIausc)
RM = Keliitivized Minimality
UG = Universal Grammai
UTAH = Universal Thela Assignment Hypothesis
> = Precedes Linemly