6533b825fe1ef96bd1281ea9
RESEARCH PRODUCT
On the Syntax of Fronted Adverbial Clauses in Two Tyrolean Dialects: The Distribution of Resumptive Semm
Jan CasalicchioFederica Cognolasubject
Tyrolean German Syntax Verb Second Pragmatics Adverbial clausesVerb SecondSettore L-LIN/14 - Lingua E Traduzione - Lingua Tedescaleft peripheryResumptive elements Left dislocation Hanging Topic fronting left periphery Verb Second.Left dislocationHanging TopicResumptive elementsfrontingSettore L-LIN/01 - Glottologia E Linguisticadescription
Abstract This chapter discusses adverbial resumption in two Tyrolean dialects, Meranese and Mòcheno, which represent two privileged environments for investigations on microvariation. We show that certain classes of fronted adverbials are resumed in both languages by the resumptive element semm (lit. “there, then”), which behaves semantically like a generalized resumptive because it is used with a variety of adverbial clauses. However, unlike the Norwegian generalized resumptive studied by Christine Meklenborg, semm is a maximal category and cannot resume nominal arguments. We demonstrate that resumption with semm is limited to central adverbial clauses (e.g. temporal clauses), while peripheral adverbial clauses (e.g. adversative clauses) cannot be resumed. These restrictions are shown to depend on semantics in Meranese but on syntactic reasons in Mòcheno. Moreover, we discuss additional differences in the syntax of semm in the two languages, which we claim ultimately depend on the fact that Meranese is a strict V2 language, while Mòcheno is a relaxed V2 language that allows V3 and V4 orders in some configurations.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-23 |