This volume presents the first large-scale treatment of German syntax along the framework of Lexical Functional Grammar (LFG), which well suits German's rich morphology and flexible word order. Berman addresses both empirical and theoretical concerns, examining phenomena that have long been discussed in the literature yet remain controversial.
The principles of LFG are applied to, and occasionally challenged by, three main areas of theoretical interest: subjects, traces, and complement clauses. This reaches central topics of German syntax, such as phrase structure, “subjectless” clauses, expletives, agreement, weak crossover, long-distance dependencies, distribution of subordinated clauses, correlative pronouns, and embedded clauses.
Judith Berman is an assistant professor at the University of Bochum.
- Acknowledgments
- List of Abbreviations
- 1 Introduction
- 1.1 German Syntax "d LFG
- 1.2 Overview
- 2 Lexical Functional Grammar
- 2.1 C-Structure
- 2.2 F-Structure
- 2.3 The Correspondence between C- and F-structure
- 2.4 A-Structure
- 3 Phrase Structure in German
- 3.1 Essentials of German Sentence Structure
- 3.2 C-structure of Sentential Phrases
- 3.2.1 The Functional Projection CP
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- 3.2.2 No Evidence for I°
- 3.2.3 Function Specification in German
- 3.2.3.1 Choi's Approach
- 3.2.3.2 Haider's Approach
- 3.2.4 Verbal Complex
- 3.2.5 Extraposed Constituents
- 3.3 Verb Second and Extended Head
- 3.4 Summary
- 4 Every Sentence in German has a Subject
- 4.1 The Subject Condition
- 4.2 Clauses without a Structural Subject
- 4.2.1 Default vs. Lexical Case-Marking
- 4.2.2 Impersonal Passive
- 4.3 The Role of the Verbal Agreement Morphology
- 4.3.1 Pronoun Incorporation and Pro-Drop
- 4.3.2 Specifying Expletive Subjects
- 4.3.3 Predictions of the Analysis
- 4.4 German as a Semi-Pro-Drop Language
- 4.5 Is there an Expletive Subject DP in German?
- 4.5.1 Evidence for Es as a (Quasi)-Argument?
- 4.6 The Subject in Non-Finite Clauses
- 4.6.1 Functional vs. Anaphoric Control
- 4.6.2 Non-Representation of the Subject of Non-Finite Clauses on C-Structure
- 4.7 Summary
- 5 Weak crossover and the Status of Empty Categories
- 5.1 The Analysis of Weak crossover-Bresnan (1998)
- 5.2 Weak Crossoverin German
- 5.2.1 Scrambling-Choi (1995)
- 5.2.2 Topicalization
- 5.2.3 Weak Crossover Involving Adjuncts
- 5.2.4 Weak Crossover between Objects
- 5.2.5 Weak Crossover and Complex Sentences
- 5.2.6 Weak Crossover Involving Long Distance Dependencies
- 5.2.7 Weak Crossover and Infinitives
- 5.3 A Traceless Account of Weak Crossover
- 5.3.1 Dalrymple et al. (2001)
- 5.3.2 Discussion
- 5.4 Summary
- 6 Long Distance Dependencies
- 6.1 Modeling Extraction with Functional Uncertainty
- 6.1.1 Outside-in Functional Uncertainty
- 6.1.2 Inside-out Functional Uncertainty
- 6.2 An Analysis of Long Distance Dependencies in German Based on Inside-Out Functional Uncertainty
- 6.2.1 German Data Involving Extraction
- 6.2.2 Conditions on the Path - Kaplan and Zaenen (1989)
- 6.2.3 A Further Restriction on Long Distance Dependencies
- 6.2.4 Off-Path Constraints
- 6.3 Long Distance Dependencies as Locally Bounded Dependencies
- 6.4 A Comparison of the Two Accounts
- 6.5 Summary
- 7 Distribution of Sentential Arguments
- 7.1 Topicalization of Sentential Arguments in English
- 7.2 German Data
- 7.3 Previous Analyses
- 7.3.1 Webelhuth (1992)
- 7.3.2 Buring (1995b)
- 7.3.3 Dalrymple and Lodrup (2000)
- 7.4 Topicalization vs. Left Dislocation of Sentential Arguments
- 7.5 Distribution of Nominal vs Sentential Arguments
- 7.6 Extraposition of Sentential Arguments
- 7.7 Summary
- Cooccurrence of Es with a Finite Clause
- 8.1 Data
- 8.2 Correlative Bs as an Argument
- 8.3 LFG-Analysis
- 8.3.1 Theoretical Preliminaries
- 8.3.2 Es as a Thematic Argument
- 8.3.2.1 OBJ-Clauses (Sagen Verbs)
- 8.3.2.2 SUBJ-Clauses (Beweisen Verbs)
- 8.3.3 Psych-Verbs (storer Class)
- 8.3.3.1 A-Structure
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- 8.3.3.2 Non-Thematic Es
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- 8.3.4 Passive of sagen
- 8.4 Summary
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- 9 Conclusion
- 9.1 Summary
- 9.2 Further research
- Bibliography
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