The Acquisition of Word Order: Micro-cues, information structure, and economy

264 Pages·2009·1.65 MB·English

by  Marit Westergaard

The Acquisition of Word Order
Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today (LA)
Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics 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.
General Editors
Werner Abraham Elly van Gelderen
University of Vienna / Rijksuniversiteit Arizona State University
Groningen
Advisory Editorial Board
Cedric Boeckx Christer Platzack
ICREA/Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona University of Lund
Guglielmo Cinque Ian Roberts
University of Venice Cambridge University
Günther Grewendorf Lisa deMena Travis
J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt McGill University
Liliane Haegeman Sten Vikner
University of Lille, France University of Aarhus
Hubert Haider C. Jan-Wouter Zwart
University of Salzburg University of Groningen
Terje Lohndal
University of Maryland
Volume 145
The Acquisition of Word Order. Micro-cues, information structure, and economy
by Marit Westergaard
The Acquisition of Word Order
Micro-cues, information structure, and economy
Marit Westergaard
University of Tromso/CASTL
John Benjamins Publishing Company
Amsterdam / Philadelphia
TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
8
American National Standard for Information Sciences – Permanence of
Paper for Printed Library Materials, ansi z39.48-1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Westergaard, Marit R. (Marit Richardsen)
  The acquisition of word order : micro-cues, information structure, and economy / Marit
Westergaard.
       p. cm. (Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today, issn 0166-0829 ; v. 145)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1.  Norwegian language--Word order. 2.  Norwegian language--Acquisition. 3.  Grammar,
Comparative and general--Word order.  I. Title.
PD2671.W47 2009
439.8'282421--dc22 2009011565
isbn 978 90 272 5528 0 (hb; alk. paper)
isbn 978 90 272 8934 6 (eb)
© 2009 – John Benjamins B.V.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any
other means, without written permission from the publisher.
John Benjamins Publishing Co. · P.O. Box 36224 · 1020 me Amsterdam · The Netherlands
John Benjamins North America · P.O. Box 27519 · Philadelphia pa 19118-0519 · usa
For Kristin and Erik

Table of contents
Acknowledgements x i
chapter 1
Preliminaries 1
1. Introduction 1
2. Theoretical background 3
3. The acquisition data 5
4. Outline of the book 9
chapter 2
Word order variation and the structure of the target language 1 3
1. Introduction 1 3
2. Parameter setting and word order variation 1 4
3. Variation in verb second (V2) word order 1 6
3.1 Variation across clause types 1 6
3.2 Variation within clause types 2 0
3.3 Variation based on information structure 2 4
4. Norwegian verbal morphology 2 7
5. Summary 3 0
chapter 3
The syntax of V2 and a model of micro-cues 3 3
1. Introduction 3 3
2. Some previous analyses of V2 word order 3 4
3. The syntax of V2 in a split-CP model 3 7
3.1 Different clause types and a split ForceP 3 7
3.2 Further microvariation and the status of certain lexical elements 4 2
3.3 Word order and information structure 4 5
4. A model of micro-cues 5 0
4.1 Introduction 5 0
4.2 V2 in different clause types 5 2
4.3 Further micro-cues for V2/non-V2 5 6
5. Summary 5 9
 The Acquisition of Word Order
chapter 4
The input 6 3
1. Introduction 6 3
2. The role of the input 6 4
3. Input frequencies of different clause types 6 6
4. Frequencies of mixed word order within clause types 7 0
4.1 Word order dependent on further micro-cues 7 0
4.2 Word order based on information structure 7 3
5. Summary 7 5
chapter 5
The acquisition of word order in non-subject-initial declaratives 7 7
1. Introduction 7 7
2. Previous research and predictions 7 8
2.1 Introduction: Acquisition vs. rote learning 7 8
2.2 Economy 7 9
2.3 Morphology and syntax: V2 and the acquisition of tense
and agreement 8 0
2.4 Optional infinitives and truncation 8 2
2.5 Grammar competition and V1 structures 8 3
3. Non-subject-initial declaratives in child Norwegian 8 4
3.1 Early examples of V2 word order 8 4
3.2 Non-subject-initial declaratives and finiteness 8 7
3.3 Subjectless examples 8 9
3.4 The production of V1 structures 9 0
4. The production of non-V2 word order 9 4
4.1 Non-subject-initial declaratives with kanskje ‘maybe’ 9 4
4.2 Non-target-consistent word order 9 5
4.2.1 Non-target-consistent word order and finiteness 9 5
4.2.2 Non-target-consistent word order
and information structure 9 8
5. Summary and conclusion 104
chapter 6
The acquisition of word order in subject-initial declaratives 107
1. Introduction 107
2. Previous research and predictions 109
2.1 Finiteness and the development of modals 109
2.2 Optional infinitives and subjectless clauses 110
2.3 Verb movement as a verb-by-verb learning process 111
Table of contents 
3. Word order in subject-initial declaratives 113
3.1 Verb movement and finiteness 113
3.2 Position vs. finiteness – non-target-consistent examples 116
3.3 Movement, finiteness, and negation 118
3.4 Lack of verb movement or missing auxiliaries 120
3.5 Optional infinitives, subjectless clauses, and the development
of modals 123
3.6 Verb movement and type of verb 125
4. Word order in subject-initial declaratives with focus-sensitive adverbs 130
5. Summary 131
chapter 7
The acquisition of word order in wh-questions 133
1. Introduction 133
2. Some previous research and corresponding predictions 134
2.1 Inversion in child English 134
2.2 Economy and the order of acquisition 136
2.3 Verb movement and finiteness 137
2.4 Word order and information structure 138
2.5 Overgeneralization 140
3. Questions with monosyllabic wh-constituents 141
3.1 The production of V2 and non-V2 word order 141
3.2 Word order and finiteness 145
3.3 Word order and information structure 147
3.4 Usage-based vs. rule-based learning 151
3.5 Non-target-consistent forms 153
4. Subject questions 158
5. Questions with disyllabic wh-constituents 161
6. Summary 163
chapter 8
The acquisition of word order in yes/no-questions 165
1. Introduction 165
2. Yes/no-questions in the child data 166
2.1 Types of Yes/no-questions: General development 166
2.2 Type 1 Yes/no-questions 169
2.3 Type 2 Yes/no-questions 171
2.4 Type 3 Yes/no-questions 173
2.5 Other non-target-consistent forms 174
2.6 Verb movement and verb types 176