Complex Predicates in French: Summary

[Adams Bodomo]

        Last week I asked for references to work on complex predicates in
French. I got a very useful response and would like to thank all,
especially Joan Bresnan, Christopher Manning, Kersti Borjars and Paul Kay
who referred me to various works on complex predicates and some people I
could contact. Here is a summary of my findings:


1. Julia Barron, <julia at barron.win-uk.net>, did her M.A. thesis (in
Manchester) on complex predicates in French (and other Romance) languages.
The work is a critique of LFG based Mapping Theories in relation to French
and Italian causatives. It also looked at a Relational Grammar based
Mapping Theory. It addresses the concern that Mapping Theories really only
look at a(rgument)-structure to f(unctional)-structure linking. They do not
concern themselves with c-structure at all. Julia is still working in
Manchester, now on a Ph.D. on "second objects" datives and related
phenomena.


2. Jean-Pierre Koenig (now at SUNY Buffalo),<jpkoenig at acsu.buffalo.edu>,
wrote a UC Berkeley dissertation with original analysis of French
causatives (faire, etc.) in Construction Grammar framework. He also
addressed 'dative predication' (On lui a cru une grosse fortune) and
inalienable possession as a kind of predication.

3. Christopher manning and A. D. Andrews have written a number of articles
on French and (general Romance). Some of these include:
i. A. D. Andrews and Christopher D. Manning. Information Spreading and
Levels of Representation in LFG. Technical Report CSLI-93-176, Stanford
University, Stanford CA.
ii. Christopher D. Manning. Romance is so complex. Technical Report
CSLI-92-168, Stanford University, Stanford CA.


4. Other references within the non-LFG, non-GB world include the Abeille,
Godard, Miller, Sag collaboration, starting with Miller's dissertation and
then later papers (P. Miller and I. A. Sag French Clitic Movement without
Clitics or Movement (available by ftp from csli.stanford.edu),
A. Abeille and D. Godard The Complementation of Tense Auxiliaries in
French WCCFL 13, and other presentations.

5. Almost everybody referred me to Alsina's 1993 Stanford dissertation on
Predicate composition.

Once again, thanks for the response. I am already in touch with some of
these people who have worked or are working on complex predicates in
French.


------------------signed---------------------
Adams B. Bodomo,
Department of Linguistics,
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
N-7055 Trondheim, Norway

Tel: 47 73596633 (office) / 47 73913478 (home) Fax: 47 73596119
email: adams.bodomo at hf.unit.no
http://www.hf.unit.no/ling/HP-FAC/bodomo.html
----------------------------------------------