Languages occasionally have syntactic constructions that are difficult, if not impossible, to describe using a context-free grammar. One such construction is a crossing dependency. Crossing dependencies have been well studied for Dutch and Swiss German (Huybregts, 1976; Shieber, 1985), and recently for Tagalog (Maclachlan and Rambow, 2003). In this paper I propose that Persian exhibits crossing dependencies. In this SOV language, a light verb construction in the future tense becomes interrupted by a future auxiliary verb, which agrees with its subject in person and number. The future auxiliary also splits passive constructions in a similar manner. These forms present interesting challenges for computational models of language. I will discuss implications of this phenomenon within current formal and linguistic theories.

有關漢語動結式的議題，中心語與論元體現皆呈現了複雜的現象。就中心語這部份，過去研究(Cheng & Huang, 1994; Gu, 1992; Huang & Lin, 1992; Y. Li, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1999; C. Li, 2008, 2009; Shen, 1992; Tai, 2003)的論點相當分歧，顯示漢語動結式中心語的位置仍有討論的空間；至於論元體現方面，由於論元與詞類間的互動會帶出許多不同的語意和句法表現，而先前的研究(Her, 2004, 2007; Li, 1990, 1995)尚未足以完整的解釋這些情形。 本研究主要從詞彙的角度來探討中心語和論元體現這兩個議題。首先，依照Her (2004, 2007)的分析方式，本研究嘗試排列出漢語動結式合法的論元結構，並利用這些論元結構描述各個動結式的論元體現，解釋可能的語意及句法結構。接著，同樣根據所提出的合法論元結構，以顯現的論元為主，並採用有關判斷中心語的假設(Zwicky, 1984; Y. Li, 1990, 1995; Chung, 2006; C. Li, 2008, 2009)，整理出漢語動結式中心語的位置。最後，詞彙功能語法中的詞彙映照理論驗證了本研究前半部分對論元體現與中心語的討論，這個理論也另外解釋漢語動結式處所詞倒置的現象。 / Two issues regarding Mandarin resultative compounds, headedness and argument realization, present a complex phenomenon. For one thing, extensive studies (Cheng & Huang, 1994; Gu, 1992; Huang & Lin, 1992; Y. Li, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1999; C. Li, 2008, 2009; Shen, 1992; Tai, 2003) concerning headedness fail to critically determine the head of a Mandarin resultative compound. For another, despite previous research (Her, 2004, 2007; Li, 1990, 1995), the interaction between arguments and grammatical functions of Mandarin resultative compounds remains inconclusive. To settle the foregoing matters, the purpose of this thesis is to probe into argument realization and headedness from a lexicalist approach, aiming to provide a full account of both issues. In the first part of this thesis, following Her’s (2004, 2007) analysis, the thesis focuses on formulating systematic feasible argument structures for Mandarin resultative compounds, then examining the argument structures of a resultative compound to explain its possible readings and syntactic representations. Based on the available argument structures proposed in the first half, the second part of the thesis investigates the headedness of Mandarin resultative compounds, suggesting that the head can be determined when arguments are overt. The criterion for headedness that is adopted in this thesis involves assumptions proposed by Zwicky (1984), Y. Li (1990, 1995), Chung (2006), and C. Li (2008, 2009). Finally, the thesis demonstrates that both issues of argument realization and headedness are well governed by Lexical Mapping Theory and that Lexical Mapping Theory further clarifies constructions with locative inversion of Mandarin resultative compounds.

Thesis (M.A. (Translation Studies and Linguistics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The prime goal of this study is to explore, form and analyse the semantic content of compound words in Sepedi. The study used the qualitative method. Data were collected using participant observations from various written sources and it was analysed through Content Analysis. The Theory of Construction Morphology was tested on endocentric, exocentric, and copulative compound words to locate the headedness of Sepedi compound words. The study revealed that the head of compound words can be located on the nominal prefix, left-hand side, right-hand side, on both nominal prefixes and it can be determined outside of the compound word for metaphoric exocentric nominal compounds. Furthermore, because of the role noun class prefixes play on determining the head of compound words, the study found that Sepedi compound words are nominals. The formation of Sepedi compound words involves the combination of different word aspects such as objects concords, deverbatives, verbal roots, stems, suffixal endings, and lexical categories such as nouns, Adjectives, and verbs. The resultant compound word of these combinations always results in a compound noun. It was recommended that future researchers should investigate the semantic content of exocentric compound words in African languages, especially the Sepedi language. The study further highlighted that there is still a need for a study that looks at the influences of nominal prefixes on the headedness of compound words in Sepedi. Furthermore, the study recommended that to alleviate the gap of shortage of literature in Sepedi, future studies should focus on word formation processes in Sepedi. / Feenix Crowdfunding and C Track Fleet Management Solutions Pty Ltd

Thema der Dissertation sind Nominalphrasen im Deutschen und Spanischen. Die Dissertation ist in 5 Abschnitte unterteilt. Das erste Kapitel gibt die Motivation der Arbeit, und im letzten Kapitel werden die Ergebnisse zusammengefasst und mögliche Erweiterungen diskutiert. Im zweiten Kapitel wird eine Einführung in den theoretischen Rahmen, die Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar (HPSG), gegeben und mit generativen Ansätzen verglichen. Dabei werden die Grundlagen und die Beschreibungsmechanismen der Theorie erklärt. HPSG ist ein oberflächenorientiertes, deklaratives, beschränkungsbasiertes Framework. Im dritten Kapitel werden vier zentrale syntaktische Begriffe besprochen und diskutiert: Kopf, Argument, Adjunkt und Spezifikator. Trotz ihrer Relevanz in der linguistischen Literatur werden diese vier Relationen verschieden interpretiert. Bei der Diskussion dieser syntaktischen Hauptrelationen werden die entsprechenden HPSG Mechanismen erklärt, mit denen sie beschrieben werden, u.a. das Semantik-Prinzip und das Kopfmerkmalsprinzip. Das vierte Kapitel der Dissertation beinhaltet Analysen für drei verschiedene Phänomene der NPs im Deutschen und Spanischen: Kasusmarkierung, optionale Argumente und pränominale Argumente. Deutsch und Spanisch unterscheiden sich in der Art und Weise, wie sie Kasus an ihren NPs markieren. Deutsch markiert sie morphologisch und Spanisch syntaktisch. Beide Arten der Markierung werden modelliert und verglichen. In Bezug auf die Optionalität von Argumenten wird zunächst die verbale Domäne betrachtet. Anhand dieser Analyse wird dann die nominale Domäne modelliert. Im letzten Teil wird eine Analyse für die pränominalen Argumente gegeben. Dabei werden folgende Aspekte betrachtet: Kombinatorik verschiedener Argumente, Theta-Rollenvergabe für die Argumente, Fakultativität der Argumente und Behandlung der (In-)Definitheit bei pränominalen Genitiven. / The topic of this dissertation are noun phrases in German and Spanish. This thesis is divided into five chapters. The first chapter presents the motivation of the work, and in the last chapter a summary is presented and discussed. In the second chapter, I give an introduction into the theoretical framework, Head-Driven Phase Structure Grammar (HPSG) by explaining its fundamental mechanisms, and compare it to generative approaches. HPSG is a surface oriented, declarative, constraint-based framework. In the third chapter, four central syntactic concepts are critically discussed: head, argument, adjunct, and specifier. Although these four concepts are highly relevant in the linguistic literature, they are often interpreted differently. While discussing these fours syntactic relations, I explain the main mechanisms of HPSG to describe them, e.g. the Semantic Principle and the Head Feature Principle. The fourth chapter contains analyses for three different NP phenomena in German and Spanish: case marking, optionality of arguments, and prenominal arguments. German and Spanish differ in the way they mark case on their NPs. German case-marks NPs morphologically, while case marking in Spanish is syntactic. Both types of marking are modelled and compared. Regarding argument optionality, I first look at the verbal domain and use this analysis to model optionality in the nominal domain. The last part of this chapter gives an analysis of prenominal arguments. The following aspects are considered: combinatory of a head noun with different arguments, theta role assignment for the arguments of a nominal head, optionality of arguments and treatment of (in-)definiteness in prenominal genitives.