Scrambling and reference in German

Autor/innen

  • Jürgen Lenerz

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21248/zaspil.23.2001.117

Abstract

Although the linear order of arguments (and adverbials) in German is relatively free, it underlies certain restrictions; these don’t apply to the so-called unmarked order for arguments (Lenerz 1977) and adverbials (Frey/Pittner 1998). It is a common assumption to take the unmarked order as basic and derive all other orders from it by scrambling, whatever its specific characteristics may be (cf., amongst others, Haider/Rosengren 1998). The observable restrictions obtaining for some linear ordering may then be considered as constraints on a movement operation (scrambling). [...] In the following, I will try to present the outlines of a possible explanation for the restriction, based on a proposal governing the proper referential interpretation of indefinite NPs.

 

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Veröffentlicht

2001

Zitationsvorschlag

Lenerz, Jürgen. 2001. „Scrambling and Reference in German“. ZAS Papers in Linguistics 23 (Januar):129-39. https://doi.org/10.21248/zaspil.23.2001.117.