Universität Wien

160153 PS Proseminar aus Grammatiktheorie und kognitiver Sprachwissenschaft (2019W)

Exfoliation and its implications for case, binding phenomena, tense interpretation and more

Prüfungsimmanente Lehrveranstaltung

An/Abmeldung

Hinweis: Ihr Anmeldezeitpunkt innerhalb der Frist hat keine Auswirkungen auf die Platzvergabe (kein "first come, first served").

Details

max. 40 Teilnehmer*innen
Sprache: Deutsch, Englisch

Lehrende

Termine (iCal) - nächster Termin ist mit N markiert

  • Freitag 10.01. 13:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 3 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Samstag 11.01. 13:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 3 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Montag 13.01. 18:00 - 21:00 Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Dienstag 14.01. 15:30 - 17:15 Seminarraum 3 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Mittwoch 15.01. 13:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 8 Sensengasse 3a 5.OG
  • Donnerstag 16.01. 10:00 - 13:00 Seminarraum 3 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Donnerstag 16.01. 17:00 - 20:00 Seminarraum 8 Sensengasse 3a 5.OG
  • Freitag 17.01. 10:00 - 13:00 Seminarraum 3 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG

Information

Ziele, Inhalte und Methode der Lehrveranstaltung

Why do clauses come in different sizes and flavors: finite vs. non-finite, introduced by a
complementizer vs. complementizerless, nominal vs non-nominal, etc.? The impetus for the
class is a new proposal advanced and explored in Pesetsky (2019). This work posits that many of
these distinctions are not the result of distinct morpho-lexical material chosen for clause building
(the standard theory in almost all frameworks), but instead are the consequence of a derivational
process of "Exfoliation" that strips away one or more outer layers of a clause as a precondition
for extraction of its subject.
This proposal, though new in a modern syntactic context, is actually a revival of the oldest
proposals in generative grammar. In a modern setting, however, has implications for many of
the most central topics in the theory of syntax.
This class will familiarize students with several of these topics in a manner accessible to
intermediate as well as advanced syntax students: the history of discussion as well as the ways in
which the Exfoliation proposal suggests new possibilities and conclusions. These topics will
include:
(1) debates over nominal case (where it comes from and why it exists in the first place)
(2) subject/non-subject extraction asymmetries (why they are ubiquitous but not uniform across
languages)
(3) special restrictions on nominative reflexives, the so-called Anaphor-Agreement effect
(likewise ubiquitous, and likewise not uniform across languages)
(4) correlations between finiteness and tense interpretation - how and why non-finite clauses
receive interpretations distinct from finite counterparts (and how and why they vary among
themselves)
(Topic 4 represents the instructor's first attempts to integrate the proposals and discoveries
reported over the last decade of research by Wurmbrand.)

Art der Leistungskontrolle und erlaubte Hilfsmittel

Mindestanforderungen und Beurteilungsmaßstab

Students should submit a short paper (3-5 pages) that offers between 1 and 3 questions or
observations relevant to topics discussed in the class. Explain in each case why the question or
observation is interesting, and explore possible answers or solutions. Longer papers are
acceptable, but the questions should be contentful and specific, concerning actual empirical
puzzles raised by the class.

Prüfungsstoff

Literatur

Because this is a short 8-day class, no reading will have the status of required reading. But it
would be extremely useful to read as much of the first paper below as possible, and to at least
have a look at the remaining readings before class. Readings will be posted on a class website
whose URL will be announced no less than two weeks before the first class.
relevant throughout the class:
Pesetsky, David. 2019. Exfoliation: Towards a Derivational Theory of Clause Size.
https://ling.auf.net/lingbuzz/004440

Zuordnung im Vorlesungsverzeichnis

MA1-M3

Letzte Änderung: Mo 07.09.2020 15:20