Warning! The directory is not yet complete and will be amended until the beginning of the term.
420007 SE Prominence scales and splits in argument marking in Ibero-Romance and beyond (2026S)
Prominence scales and splits in argument marking in Ibero-Romance and beyond
Continuous assessment of course work
Labels
Registration/Deregistration
Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).
- Registration is open from Mo 09.02.2026 08:00 to Fr 27.02.2026 08:00
- Deregistration possible until Fr 06.03.2026 08:00
Details
max. 15 participants
Language: English
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
additionally:
11.06. 13-14:30, Raum 3B-02-19
25.06. 13-14:30, Raum 3B-02-19
- Monday 13.04. 17:15 - 18:45 Seminarraum ROM 7 (3B-O1-16A) UniCampus Hof 8
- Monday 20.04. 17:15 - 18:45 Seminarraum ROM 7 (3B-O1-16A) UniCampus Hof 8
- Monday 27.04. 17:15 - 18:45 Seminarraum ROM 7 (3B-O1-16A) UniCampus Hof 8
- Monday 04.05. 17:15 - 18:45 Seminarraum ROM 7 (3B-O1-16A) UniCampus Hof 8
- Monday 11.05. 17:15 - 18:45 Seminarraum ROM 7 (3B-O1-16A) UniCampus Hof 8
- Monday 18.05. 17:15 - 18:45 Seminarraum ROM 7 (3B-O1-16A) UniCampus Hof 8
- Monday 01.06. 17:15 - 18:45 Seminarraum ROM 7 (3B-O1-16A) UniCampus Hof 8
- Monday 08.06. 17:15 - 18:45 Seminarraum ROM 7 (3B-O1-16A) UniCampus Hof 8
- Monday 15.06. 17:15 - 18:45 Seminarraum ROM 7 (3B-O1-16A) UniCampus Hof 8
- Monday 22.06. 17:15 - 18:45 Seminarraum ROM 7 (3B-O1-16A) UniCampus Hof 8
- Monday 29.06. 17:15 - 18:45 Seminarraum ROM 7 (3B-O1-16A) UniCampus Hof 8
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
Prominence scales, such as the animacy scale, the referentiality scale, the topicality scale, etc., are robust generalizations developed through comparative studies of many typologically diverse languages. These scales are frequently used for formulating implicational linguistic universals. In this course, we will see how these scales have been used to explain splits in the argument structure of Ibero-Romance languages. The discussion will focus on four central phenomena morphosyntax that exhibit this type of split: differential object marking (the “prepositional accusative”), clitic doubling, leísmo, and null objects. Depending on the interests of the participants, related phenomena from other languages may be added to the program. Based on recent publications, we will discuss what these phenomena have in common and what separates them, taking into account their history and the variation found in different contemporary varieties.
Assessment and permitted materials
active and regular participation, presentation with handout
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
Examination topics
Reading list
Bickel, Balthasar. 2008. On the scope of the referential hierarchy in the typology of grammatical relations. In Greville G. Corbett & Michael Noonan (eds.), Case and grammatical relations: pa-pers in honor of Bernard Comrie. Amsterdam: Benjamins, 191–210.
Clements, J. Clancy. 2006. Null Direct Objects in Spanish. In J. Clancy Clements & Jiyoung Yoon (eds.), Functional Approaches to Spanish Syntax. Lexical Semantics, Discourse and Transitivity. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 134-150.
Fábregas, Antonio. 2013. Differential object marking in Spanish: State of the art. Borealis 2, 1–80.
Fernández-Ordóñez, Inés. 2012. Pronominal paradigms in Ibero-Romance dialects from a cross-linguistic and social typology perspective. In: Gunther De Vogelaer & Guido Seiler (eds.), The Dialect Laboratory: Dialects as a testing ground for theories of language change. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 73-106.
Flores, Marcela & Melis, Chantal. 2007. El leísmo desde la perspectiva del “marcado diferencial de objeto”. RHLE 2, 83-107.
Haspelmath, Martin. 2010. Comparative concepts and descriptive categories in crosslinguistic studies. Language 86(3), 663–687.
Haspelmath, Marin. 2021. Role-reference associations and the explanation of argument coding splits. Linguistics 59(1), 123–174.
Kabatek, Johannes. 2016. Wohin strebt die differentielle Objektmarkierung im Spanischen? Romanistisches Jahrbuch 67(1), 211-239.
Melis, Chantal. 2018. Spanish indexing DOM, topicality, and the case hierarchy. In: Ilja Seržant & Alena Witzlack-Makarevich (eds.), Diachrony of Differential Argument Marking. Berlin: Language Science Press, 97-128.
Rinke, Esther; Wieprecht, Judith & Elsig, Martin. 2019. Clitic doubling in Peninsular and Rioplatense Spanish: a comparative corpus investigation. Isogloss 5(3), 1-43.
Schwenter, Scott. 2014. Two kinds of differential object marking in Portuguese and Spanish. In: Patrícia Amaral & Ana Maria Carvalho (eds.), Portuguese-Spanish Interfaces. Diachrony, Synchrony and Contact. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 237-260.
Clements, J. Clancy. 2006. Null Direct Objects in Spanish. In J. Clancy Clements & Jiyoung Yoon (eds.), Functional Approaches to Spanish Syntax. Lexical Semantics, Discourse and Transitivity. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 134-150.
Fábregas, Antonio. 2013. Differential object marking in Spanish: State of the art. Borealis 2, 1–80.
Fernández-Ordóñez, Inés. 2012. Pronominal paradigms in Ibero-Romance dialects from a cross-linguistic and social typology perspective. In: Gunther De Vogelaer & Guido Seiler (eds.), The Dialect Laboratory: Dialects as a testing ground for theories of language change. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 73-106.
Flores, Marcela & Melis, Chantal. 2007. El leísmo desde la perspectiva del “marcado diferencial de objeto”. RHLE 2, 83-107.
Haspelmath, Martin. 2010. Comparative concepts and descriptive categories in crosslinguistic studies. Language 86(3), 663–687.
Haspelmath, Marin. 2021. Role-reference associations and the explanation of argument coding splits. Linguistics 59(1), 123–174.
Kabatek, Johannes. 2016. Wohin strebt die differentielle Objektmarkierung im Spanischen? Romanistisches Jahrbuch 67(1), 211-239.
Melis, Chantal. 2018. Spanish indexing DOM, topicality, and the case hierarchy. In: Ilja Seržant & Alena Witzlack-Makarevich (eds.), Diachrony of Differential Argument Marking. Berlin: Language Science Press, 97-128.
Rinke, Esther; Wieprecht, Judith & Elsig, Martin. 2019. Clitic doubling in Peninsular and Rioplatense Spanish: a comparative corpus investigation. Isogloss 5(3), 1-43.
Schwenter, Scott. 2014. Two kinds of differential object marking in Portuguese and Spanish. In: Patrícia Amaral & Ana Maria Carvalho (eds.), Portuguese-Spanish Interfaces. Diachrony, Synchrony and Contact. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 237-260.
Association in the course directory
Last modified: Tu 19.05.2026 14:47