Major pillars of German syntax: An introduction to CRMS-theory

416 Pages·1991·81.509 MB·English

by  Peter Rolf Lutzeier

Linguistische
Arbeiten 258
Herausgegeben von Hans Altmann, Peter Blumenthal, Herbert E. Brekle,
Hans Jürgen Heringer, Heinz Vater und Richard Wiese

Peter Rolf Lutzeier
Major Pillars of German Syntax
An Introduction to CRMS-Theory
Max Niemeyer Verlag
Tübingen 1991
CIP-Titelaufnahme der Deutschen Bibliothek
Lutzeier, Peter Rolf : Major pillars of German syntax : an introduction to CRMS-theory /
Peter Rolf Lutzeier. -Tübingen : Niemeyer, 199
(Linguistische Arbeiten ; 258)
NEr GT
ISBN 3-484-30258-5 ISSN 0344-6727
© Max Niemeyer Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Tübingen 1991
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einen anderen Sinn ats den
den er im Herzen bat,
Guntram Vesper, Die Inseln im Landmeer und neue Gedichte.
Mit Zeichnungen vom Autor. Frankfurt: Fischer Taschenbuch
Verlag 1984,38,
'While he ts looking at pictures
no-one gives them a different meaning to that
which he already carries in his heart.1
Preface
My book Is an exercise in descriptive explorations In German syntax.
What comes out of this exercise Is the outline of a syntactic theory
which is totally governed by the principle: 'Syntax is there for the sake
of semantics'. The theory Is put to the test of a wide range of con-
structions In German. Ample illustrations and summaries at the end of
important chapters are provided to help the reader to follow my Ideas,
although of course the reader will profit most If he/she has some
knowledge of German. Nevertheless, rough translation glosses for most
of the examples and translations of German quotations should help even
the non German-speaking reader to grasp the main points of my argu-
mentation. There are no footnotes throughout the whole book, since
wherever one places them they Inevitably Interrupt the flow of the
main text and this is an effect which I have tried to avoid In general.
Numbering of the examples starts anew with each of the four main
chapters.
On many occasions , I.e. lectures In Berlin, Davis, Los Angeles,
Munich, New Orleans, Osnabrück, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Stuttgart
and Wuppertal, I have had the privilege of being able to share my Ideas
with students or colleagues. 1 am very grateful for the many useful
contributions which i received on these occasions.
The lion's share of the first draft of this book was written while 1
enjoyed a stay at the University of California, San Diego. Many thanks
are due to the Department of Linguistics there, In particular to Ronald
Langacker whose fascinating ideas were a constant challenge to me.
Ekkehard König, Peter Schloblnski and Stephan Schuetze-Coburn were
prepared to read drafts of the book and kindly discussed some of the
Vtl
Issues with me, Hans Altmann also made some useful comments on
parts of the book. I owe the greatest debt of gratitude to the West
German Research Foundation. Thetr generous grant of a Heisenberg-
Fellowshlp not only cleared our minds of financial day-to-day worries
but encouraged me to carry on with my research.
It Is a pleasure for me to thank rmy wife Elizabeth who was kind
enough to check my English, There may still be some stumbling blocks
for a native speaker because every now and then I Insisted on my own
formulations.
Peter Rolf Lutzefer
München/London, October )990
Contents
Where does it all start? I
I. I Syntax versus grammar 1
1.2 Types of data 3
1.3 Methodological remarks 9
Limitations for the notion 'sentence1 16
2.1 Types of approaches 16
2.2 Written language 10
2.3 One-word-sentences 25
2.4 Spoken language 33
2,41 The hypothesis of sentence contours 33
2.4.2 Problems with the hypothesis 43
2.4.3 Modification of the hypothesis 52
2.4.4 Relevance of the meaning-side 66
2.5 Sentence versus utterance 77
Inner organization of sentences 83
3,1 Constituents 83
3, M Hierarchical organization 83
3.1.2 Reordering test 87
3.1.3 Reduction test 94
3.1.4 Methodological remarks 101
3.1.5 Binary divisions 104
3.1.6 Labelled constituent structures 1 11
3.1.6.1 Noun phrase 115
3.1.6.2 Verbal phrase 122
3.1.6.3 Adjectival phrase 141
3.1.6.4 Prepositional phrase 145
3.1.6.5 Some other phrases
IX
3.1.6.6 S as a constituent? 150
3.2 Syntactic-semantic relations 160
3.2.1 Relational organization 160
3.2.2 Syntactic categories versus syntactic relations 164
3.2.3 Ways of approaching the relational organization 167
3.2.4 Syntactic-semantic relations for German 177
3.2.4.1 'Source' -Relation/'Goal'-Relatton 177
3.2.4.2 'Signpost-Relation 204
3.2.4.3 'Mod ΙΠ er'-Relation 227
3.2.4.4 'Emptying'-Relation 241
3.2.4.5 'Identlty'-Retatlon 248
3.2.5 Properties of the set of syntactic-semantic relations 255
3.2.5.1 Issues related to some traditional relations 255
3.2.5.2 Linkage with case marking 267
3.2.5.3 Differentiation-Issues 281
3.2.5.4 Being a complement versus being case governed 288
3.2.6 Methodological issues raised by the set of syntactic-
semantic relations 311
3.2.6.1 General remarks about the relations 311
3.2.6.2 Extensions? 344
3.2.6.3 What about the familiar grammatical relations? 351
3.3 Marking structure 357
3.4 Suprasegmental structure 368
Where does it all end? 372
Literature 377