Object shift and optionality. An intricate interplay between syntax, prosody and information structure
Author
Summary, in English
The topic of my article is Object Shift and optionality, mainly from a Swedish viewpoint. I present the result of a survey, which shows that informant‟s intuitions concerning the wellformedness of shifted and non-shifted sentences vary to a large degree. For sentences with monotransitive verbs and monosyllabic object pronouns, such as den (it.common) ‟it‟, the shifted alternative is preferred, whereas there is a tie for sentences with disyllabic object pronouns, such as honom ‟him‟ and henne ‟her‟. The picture is similar for ditransitive constructions. Sentences with the order direct object > indirect object are generally rejected by the informants, even though such sentences are considered less ungrammatical if both objects have undergone Object Shift.
I also outline an analysis, according to which Object Shift is triggered by information structure, more specifically by a general propensity for old/thematic elements to appear in the middle field. However, Object Shift is blocked if ungrammatical structures arise, such as OV constituent order. The bias for monomorphemic pronouns to shift and a stronger tendency for bimorphemic pronouns to remain in situ is explained by the phonological properties of the lexical items involved. Thus, in order to understand OS we need to take different factors into account: information structure, syntax and prosody.
I also outline an analysis, according to which Object Shift is triggered by information structure, more specifically by a general propensity for old/thematic elements to appear in the middle field. However, Object Shift is blocked if ungrammatical structures arise, such as OV constituent order. The bias for monomorphemic pronouns to shift and a stronger tendency for bimorphemic pronouns to remain in situ is explained by the phonological properties of the lexical items involved. Thus, in order to understand OS we need to take different factors into account: information structure, syntax and prosody.
Department/s
Publishing year
2010
Language
English
Publication/Series
Working Papers in Scandinavian Syntax
Volume
86
Links
Document type
Working paper
Publisher
Centre for Languages and Literature, Lund University
Topic
- Languages and Literature
Keywords
- prosody
- object shift
- optionality
- OV/VO
- information structure
- directionality parameter
- Holmberg's generalization
Status
Published
Research group
- GRIMM
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1100-097X