Thesis (M. A. (African Languages)) -- University of Limpopo, 2004 / Refer to document

abstract: The primary topic of this dissertation is the grammaticalization of negation in three Sinitic language varieties: Hakka, Mandarin, and Southern Min. I discuss negative morphemes that are used under different modality or aspect contexts, including ability, volition, necessity, and perfectivity. Not only does this study examine Southern Min affirmative and negative pairs, but it also highlights the grammaticalization of negation and parametric differences in negation among the languages under investigation. This dissertation also covers the reanalysis of negatives into interrogatives. I approach the investigation of Southern Min negation from both synchronic and diachronic perspectives. I analyze corpus data in addition to data collected from fieldwork for the contemporary linguistic data. For my diachronic research of Chinese negation, I use historical texts and etymological dictionaries. Diachronically, many of the negative morphemes originate from full-fledged verbs and undergo an analogous grammaticalization process that consists of multiple stages of reanalysis from V to T (aspect; modality), and then T to C (interrogative; discourse). I explain this reanalysis, which involves head-to-head movement, using generative frameworks that combine a modified cartographic approach and the Minimalist Economy Principles. Synchronic data show that Southern Min affirmative modals are characterized by a certain morphological doubling. These doublings consist of two near synonyms used in sequence, resulting from the loss of features in a verb and a second verb added as a renewal. In the negation paradigm, some negatives project a negative phrase, while the others serve a dual function, occupying a modal/aspect head as well as a negative head. The latter system is gradually shifting to the former. This study uncovers evidence to counter the long-established paradigm, where negation is tied to its independent modality (abilitive, volitional and necessitive) or aspect (perfective and perfect). I observe a mismatch between the use of interrogatives and their modality/aspect and attribute this phenomenon to feature loss during their reanalysis from negatives to interrogatives. Results however show that consistency occurs in the grammaticalization of negation within Southern Min and intra-linguistically among the three Sinitic languages, and that parametric differences are found at the morphological level. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. English 2012

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This thesis explores the nature of linguistic introspection through the phenomenon known in the literature as the Syntactic Satiation Effect, where the perceived unacceptability of some syntactic structures is attenuated on repeated exposure. Recent findings suggest that rating change in experimental settings may not reveal the underlying grammatical status of syntactic objects by mitigating performance factors related to memory limitations, as initially proposed, but rather arise as a response bias conditioned by characteristics of some experimental designs, in effect introducing task-based performance factors. Findings from rating and reading times suggest that there is evidence supporting both accounts of rating change in experimental designs and highlights areas of development for the Experimental Syntax program. Exploring anecdotal reports, Snyder (2000) found that in as few as five exposures, participants found some types of wh-extraction anomaly (‘weak Islands’) significantly more acceptable at the end of the session compared to the beginning whereas others (‘strong Islands’) did not experience any rating improvement. Varied success in replicating initial results casts doubts on the proposal that rating data, experimentally elicited, can tease apart grammatical from performance sources of unacceptability. Sprouse (2009) suggests an alternative –Satiation arises as an artifact of a disproportionate number of ungrammatical to grammatical sentences in the testing session. This approach provides an explanation for the apparent mismatch in findings, but also highlights issues regarding the advances of experimental syntax: do experimental methods provide better data or do aspects of some designs systematically introduce extraneous influences themselves? Evidence from three rating and two self-paced reading tasks suggests that although robust evidence supporting the memory-based claim is not found, evidence that Satiation is strictly task-based is not substantiated either; sentences that satiate are similar across experiments. A novel observation is made that satiating sentences are also more readily interpretable than non-satiating sentences – providing some explanation for the apparent mismatch between Satiation studies, and also points to another source of variability associated with experimental approaches to linguistic intuition. In sum, evidence here underlines the composite nature of introspection, points areas of refinement for experimental techniques and advocates for the adoption of cross-methodological procedures to enhance syntactic investigation.

This thesis revisits the variation inherent to the French wh interrogative system. In La[urentien]F[rench], there are many ways to ask wh questions, all of which are said to have the same general interpretation. By looking at different types of data, historical as well as contemporary, this thesis puts forward three main findings/proposals: i. the high degree of variation is due to the use of wh est-ce que, which appeared in Old French as an interrogative cleft (Rouquier 2003); ii. between Old and Modern French, wh est-ce que has gone through a typical cycle of grammaticalisation (as described by Roberts & Roussou 2003, van Gelderen 2008a, b), while the free relative of the Old French cleft remained unchanged; iii. today’s LaF wh system is dominated by the wh est-ce que and variants (over 98 percent of use – Elsig 2009), which lack traditional wh movement. It is proposed that wh est-ce que and variants appear in a construction containing an atrophied clefted CP adjoined to a main clause containing a wh operator, whereas the variant traditionally called wh in situ is generated in a structure in which the wh element is interpreted and spelled-out in the position of Merge. In addition to its theoretical contribution, this thesis helps to bring together theoretical and applied linguistics, since it makes use of different types of data, both historical and synchronic (oral and written corpora, experimental studies and grammaticality judgements). Moreover, the conclusions raise important questions about the realities of diglossia in the French diaspora: wh interrogative variants are divided according to fundamental structural differences; some have wh movement (high, formal register) and others do not (vernacular and neutral register). Finally, this thesis also contributes to the theories of oralité (Gadet 1992), since it sheds light on a complex system of variants found exclusively in vernacular speech.

This thesis revisits the variation inherent to the French wh interrogative system. In La[urentien]F[rench], there are many ways to ask wh questions, all of which are said to have the same general interpretation. By looking at different types of data, historical as well as contemporary, this thesis puts forward three main findings/proposals: i. the high degree of variation is due to the use of wh est-ce que, which appeared in Old French as an interrogative cleft (Rouquier 2003); ii. between Old and Modern French, wh est-ce que has gone through a typical cycle of grammaticalisation (as described by Roberts & Roussou 2003, van Gelderen 2008a, b), while the free relative of the Old French cleft remained unchanged; iii. today’s LaF wh system is dominated by the wh est-ce que and variants (over 98 percent of use – Elsig 2009), which lack traditional wh movement. It is proposed that wh est-ce que and variants appear in a construction containing an atrophied clefted CP adjoined to a main clause containing a wh operator, whereas the variant traditionally called wh in situ is generated in a structure in which the wh element is interpreted and spelled-out in the position of Merge. In addition to its theoretical contribution, this thesis helps to bring together theoretical and applied linguistics, since it makes use of different types of data, both historical and synchronic (oral and written corpora, experimental studies and grammaticality judgements). Moreover, the conclusions raise important questions about the realities of diglossia in the French diaspora: wh interrogative variants are divided according to fundamental structural differences; some have wh movement (high, formal register) and others do not (vernacular and neutral register). Finally, this thesis also contributes to the theories of oralité (Gadet 1992), since it sheds light on a complex system of variants found exclusively in vernacular speech.

Les subordonnées interrogatives constituantes sont étudiées à l’interface syntaxe/sémantique. Trois domaines sont abordés : les termes introducteurs ; les prédicats introducteurs ; les modes et les temps. Les termes introducteurs appartiennent à trois paradigmes : ὅς (relatif), τίς (interrogatif direct) et ὅστις (relatif « indéfini »). Τίς/ὅστις ont la mêmedistribution syntaxique ; ὅς est isolé. Le critère sémantiquement distinctif est leur capacité (ὅς) ou leur incapacité(τίς/ὅστις) à trouver un antécédent pour interpréter la variable qu’ils représentent. On utilise les propositions en τίς/ὅστις dans les environnements où ce processus est bloqué (opérateurs non véridiques autorisant les TPN, et focus), alors que les propositions en ὅς sont présupposées et ont portée sur ces opérateurs. La notion-clé que nous avançons est celle d’identification, par ailleurs opératoire pour les exclamatives. Le sémantisme des prédicats introducteurs repose sur la combinaison de deux traits (réponse ouverte/fermée et rogatif/résolutif) : on aboutit à quatre classes. Les modes et les temps analysés sont le subjonctif délibératif et l’optatif oblique (un temps narratif selon nous).Les trois études ont des résultats convergents : seuls les prédicats résolutifs prennent des propositions en ὅς ; les verbes rogatifs ont une concordance des temps particulière ; l’optatif oblique est interdit dans les propositions en ὅς etc.Cette thèse est fondée sur le dialogue entre les linguistiques grecque et générale. Ainsi, au prix de modifications,l’approche cartographique explique bien le système de subordination grec. Nos résultats ont des conséquences sur la syntaxe et la sémantique des relatives. / This thesis investigates embedded constituent interrogatives at the syntax/semantic interface. Three areas areanalysed: interrogative terms; embedding predicates; moods and tenses. The interrogative terms belong to threeparadigms: ὅς (relative), τίς (direct interrogative) and ὅστις (so-called indefinite relative). Τίς/ὅστις pattern togetherdistributionally, while ὅς shows a different pattern. The distinctive semantic criterion is their ability (ὅς) or inability(τίς/ὅστις) to identify an antecedent for interpretation of the variable. Τίς/ὅστις clauses are licensed in environmentswhere this process is blocked, that is under non veridical (NPIs licensing) operators and in focus position, whereas ὅςclauses are presupposed and have scope over such operators. The key notion we propose is identification. It carries overto exclamatives. As for the embedding predicates, we propose two semantic features, open/closeness of the answer androgative/resolutiveness, whose ± setting yields four classes. The analysis of the moods and tenses focuses on thedeliberative subjunctive and its alternatives and on the oblique optative, which, we propose, is a narrative tense.Put together, these three studies display coherent results: only resolutive predicates embed ὅς-clauses; rogativeverbs behave differently w.r.t. the sequence-of-time phenomenon; oblique optatives do not show up in ὅς-clauses etc.More generally, the Greek data help enhance parts of the linguistic theory. With some modifications, the cartographicapproach provides good explanations for the Greek completive system. Our results also have important consequences onthe syntax and the semantics of relatives.

A investigação de variáveis sintáticas e morfossintáticas dentro do quadro da Sociolinguística Varicionista tem recebido, em geral, menor atenção do que o estudo de variáveis fonológicas. Este trabalho analisa a variação entreo quatro estruturas de Interrogativas-Q em amostras de fala e de escrita do português paulistano contemporâneo: (i) interrogativas-qu (\"Onde você mora?\"); (ii) interrogativas qu-que (\"Onde que você mora?\"); (iii)interrogativas é que (\"Onde é que você mora?\"); e (iv) interrogativas qu-in-situ (\"Você mora onde?\"). A equivalência semântica entre as formas interrogativas se estabelece através do conceito de pressuposição do falante (Stalnaker, 2002). Além disso, este trabalho propõe o conceito de competência comunicativa (Hymes, 1991[1979]) como critério para determinar o envelope de variação: diferentes estruturas são consideradas variantes se forem factualmente possíveis, factíveis, adequadas e empregadas nos mesmos contextos. A análise qualitativa com base nesses conceitos define dois envelopes de variação-e, portanto, duas variáveis: uma que envolve a alternância na posição do constituinte interrogativo (in situ ou não), e outra que encerra as três estruturas com constituinte interrogativo pré-verbal (-qu, qu-que e é-que). Os resultados das análises quantitativas mostram que interrogativas qu-in-situ são favorecidas principalmente por fatores morfossintáticos e discursivo-pragamáticos; fatores extralinguísticos, como sexo/genêro e a faixa etária do falante , também se correlacionam indiretamente através do emprego de diferentes discursivas. O uso de interrogativas qu-que, por sua vez, demonstra uma provável mudança linguística em progresso, uma vez que a análise em tempo aparente revela o favorecimento da estrutura por falantes mais jovens. Neste caso, a variação é influenciada principalmente por fatores sintáticos e prosódicos. Além de propor critérios para o estudo de variáveis morfossintáticas, este trabalho discute os resultados das análises quantitativas em perspectiva com outros níveis de variação linguística, com vistas a integra-los em um quadro mais amplo da Teoria da Variação. / The investigation of syntactic and morphosyntactic variables within the framework of Variationist ociolinguistics has received, in general, less attention than the study of phonological variables. This study analyses variation amaong four different structures of Wh-interrogatives in the speech and writing of native paulistanos: (i) \'simple\'wh-interrogatives (as in Onde você mora? \'Where you live?\'); (ii) wh-que interrogatives ( as in Onde você mora? \'Where-that you live?\'); (iii) cleft wh-interrogatives (as in Onde é que você mora? \'Where is-it that you live?\'); and (iv) wh-in-situ (as in Você mora onde? \'You live where?\'). Semantic equivalence among the four structures is established through the concept of speaker\'s pressupposition (Stalnaker, 2002). Further, this study proposes the concept of communicative competence (Hymes, 1991 [1979]) as a criterium for determining the envelope of variation: different structures are considered variants if they are factually possible, feasible, appropriate, and performed in the same contexts. The qualitative analysis based on these concepts defines two different envelopes of variation - hence, two variables: one which involves the alternation in the position of the wh-word (in situ vs. moved), and another which comises the three structures with a moved wh-word (\'simple\', wh-que and cleft -wh). Results of the quantitative analyses show that wh-in-situ is mostly favored by morphosyntactic and discourse-pragmatic factors, and that non-linguistic factor groups such as gender and age are also indirectly correlated with the variantion through the use of different discourse strategies. The use of wh-que, on the other hand, is probably undergoing change, as apparent time analyses show a avoring effect by younger speakers. Variation in this case is mostly influenced by syntactic and prosodic factors. In addition to proposing criteria to the study of morphosyntactic variables, this dissertation discusses the results of the quantitative analyses in relation to other levels of linguistic variation, aiming at their integration into a larger framework of Variotion Theory.

A investigação de variáveis sintáticas e morfossintáticas dentro do quadro da Sociolinguística Varicionista tem recebido, em geral, menor atenção do que o estudo de variáveis fonológicas. Este trabalho analisa a variação entreo quatro estruturas de Interrogativas-Q em amostras de fala e de escrita do português paulistano contemporâneo: (i) interrogativas-qu (\"Onde você mora?\"); (ii) interrogativas qu-que (\"Onde que você mora?\"); (iii)interrogativas é que (\"Onde é que você mora?\"); e (iv) interrogativas qu-in-situ (\"Você mora onde?\"). A equivalência semântica entre as formas interrogativas se estabelece através do conceito de pressuposição do falante (Stalnaker, 2002). Além disso, este trabalho propõe o conceito de competência comunicativa (Hymes, 1991[1979]) como critério para determinar o envelope de variação: diferentes estruturas são consideradas variantes se forem factualmente possíveis, factíveis, adequadas e empregadas nos mesmos contextos. A análise qualitativa com base nesses conceitos define dois envelopes de variação-e, portanto, duas variáveis: uma que envolve a alternância na posição do constituinte interrogativo (in situ ou não), e outra que encerra as três estruturas com constituinte interrogativo pré-verbal (-qu, qu-que e é-que). Os resultados das análises quantitativas mostram que interrogativas qu-in-situ são favorecidas principalmente por fatores morfossintáticos e discursivo-pragamáticos; fatores extralinguísticos, como sexo/genêro e a faixa etária do falante , também se correlacionam indiretamente através do emprego de diferentes discursivas. O uso de interrogativas qu-que, por sua vez, demonstra uma provável mudança linguística em progresso, uma vez que a análise em tempo aparente revela o favorecimento da estrutura por falantes mais jovens. Neste caso, a variação é influenciada principalmente por fatores sintáticos e prosódicos. Além de propor critérios para o estudo de variáveis morfossintáticas, este trabalho discute os resultados das análises quantitativas em perspectiva com outros níveis de variação linguística, com vistas a integra-los em um quadro mais amplo da Teoria da Variação. / The investigation of syntactic and morphosyntactic variables within the framework of Variationist ociolinguistics has received, in general, less attention than the study of phonological variables. This study analyses variation amaong four different structures of Wh-interrogatives in the speech and writing of native paulistanos: (i) \'simple\'wh-interrogatives (as in Onde você mora? \'Where you live?\'); (ii) wh-que interrogatives ( as in Onde você mora? \'Where-that you live?\'); (iii) cleft wh-interrogatives (as in Onde é que você mora? \'Where is-it that you live?\'); and (iv) wh-in-situ (as in Você mora onde? \'You live where?\'). Semantic equivalence among the four structures is established through the concept of speaker\'s pressupposition (Stalnaker, 2002). Further, this study proposes the concept of communicative competence (Hymes, 1991 [1979]) as a criterium for determining the envelope of variation: different structures are considered variants if they are factually possible, feasible, appropriate, and performed in the same contexts. The qualitative analysis based on these concepts defines two different envelopes of variation - hence, two variables: one which involves the alternation in the position of the wh-word (in situ vs. moved), and another which comises the three structures with a moved wh-word (\'simple\', wh-que and cleft -wh). Results of the quantitative analyses show that wh-in-situ is mostly favored by morphosyntactic and discourse-pragmatic factors, and that non-linguistic factor groups such as gender and age are also indirectly correlated with the variantion through the use of different discourse strategies. The use of wh-que, on the other hand, is probably undergoing change, as apparent time analyses show a avoring effect by younger speakers. Variation in this case is mostly influenced by syntactic and prosodic factors. In addition to proposing criteria to the study of morphosyntactic variables, this dissertation discusses the results of the quantitative analyses in relation to other levels of linguistic variation, aiming at their integration into a larger framework of Variotion Theory.

The vast majority of work on question formation examines interrogatives from the perspective of just one single component of grammar, usually the syntax or the prosody. The present dissertation offers a comprehensive account of question formation addressing both the syntax and the prosody of interrogatives and the interaction between these two components of grammar in signalling the question meaning of an utterance. The present work examines question formation on the basis of four genealogically related and geographically closely located Romance varieties spoken in northern Italy: Gherdëina, Badiot, Fascian and Nònes. Given that these varieties differ only with respect to certain microparametric values whereas others remain constant, they constitute an ideal research area to study the interaction between the syntax and the prosody in question formation. The syntactic and prosodic analyses proposed are based on new empirical data. The syntactic analysis is couched within the cartographic approach and the prosodic analysis is based on Autosegmental-Metrical Phonology. This dissertation is motivated by five main research goals: <ol type=i><li>to provide a detailed description of the syntactic variation found in interrogatives in the four varieties Gherdëina, Badiot, Fascian and Nònes based on data collected by the author;</li> <li>to propose a unified syntactic analysis of the interrogatives;</li> <li>to offer a prosodic analysis of statements and questions providing new data from varieties not studied up to now in the literature;</li> <li>to establish the relation between the syntax and the prosody in question formation;</li> <li>to determine how the syntax and the prosody interact in providing clues to interrogative force for the listener as well as the speaker.</li></ol> The main conclusions are as follows: The syntactic structure and the intonational tune are autonomous in question formation. Three aspects matter for interrogative clause typing: (i) syntactic marking, (ii) prosodic marking and (iii) tune-text-alignment.