33.1153, Books: Definite objects in the wild: Schoenmakers

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-33-1153. Wed Mar 30 2022. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 33.1153, Books: Definite objects in the wild: Schoenmakers

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Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2022 22:59:43
From: Karijn Hootsen [lot at uva.nl]
Subject: Definite objects in the wild: Schoenmakers

 


Title: Definite objects in the wild 
Subtitle: A converging evidence approach to scrambling in the Dutch middle-field 
Series Title: LOT Dissertation Series  

Publication Year: 2022 
Publisher: Netherlands Graduate School of Linguistics / Landelijke (LOT)
	   http://www.lotpublications.nl/
	

Book URL: https://www.lotpublications.nl/definite-objects-in-the-wild-a-converging-evidence-approach-to-scrambling-in-the-dutch-middle-field 


Author: Gert-Jan Schoenmakers

Paperback: ISBN:  9789460934025 Pages: 229 Price: Europe EURO 32


Abstract:

Dutch allows a certain degree of freedom in the placement of definite objects
with respect to that of adverbs in the middle-field of the clause. This
phenomenon is known as scrambling. Dutch scrambling has been studied
extensively over the past decades, yet the incentives to scramble definite
objects are still matter of debate.

The general consensus is that scrambling of definite objects is motivated by
discourse packaging conditions, in that presuppositional (topical and/or
anaphoric) objects scramble and non-presuppositional (focused and/or
non-anaphoric) objects do not. Most linguists are quite resolute in their
claims about the obligatoriness of scrambling, but not everyone agrees with
this strict “discourse template”. Empirical data (other than researcher
intuitions) to back up these claims are scarce, and studies that do report
empirical data do not corroborate the claims. Another factor argued to impact
scrambling is the type of adverb. In particular, the structural position and
focus sensitivity of adverbs should affect definite object placement.

This thesis shows through a series of experiments that the type of adverb
plays a key role in the scrambling preferences of Dutch speakers, and that
Dutch scrambling is at best influenced, but certainly not determined, by
information structure. In addition, it charts the information structural
partitioning of Dutch clauses since the 13th century, which serves as the
basis for a theoretical analysis of scrambling. The results reveal striking
discrepancies between expert judgments, folk judgments, and scrambling
preferences in constrained language production. The thesis therefore advocates
a “converging evidence” approach to Dutch scrambling.
 



Linguistic Field(s): General Linguistics
                     Syntax

Subject Language(s): Dutch (nld)


Written In: English  (eng)

See this book announcement on our website: 
http://linguistlist.org/pubs/books/get-book.cfm?BookID=160694




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