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This title focuses on the syntactic behaviour of argument noun phrases depending on their discourse status. The main language of consideration is German, but it is shown that the observations can be carried over to other languages. The claim is that discourse-new arguments remain inside the VP where they are base generated. The hierarchy of argument projection is claimed to be fixed within and across languages. There is major attention to direct objects. It is then argued that discourse-old undergo raising to agreement projections.
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SYNTACTIC ASPECTS OF TOPIC AND COMMENT LINGUISTIK AKTUELL/LINGUISTICS TODAY Linguistik Aktueil/Linguistic Today [LA] provides a platform for original monograph studies into synchronic and diachronic linguistics. Studies in LA confront empirical and theoretical problems as these are currently discussed in syntax, semantics, morphology, phonology, and systematic pragmatics with the aim to establish robust empirical generalizations within a universalistic perspective. Series Editor Werner Abraham University of California at Berkeley University of Vienna Rijksuniversiteit G ton in gen Advkory Editorial Board Gugiitltno Cinque: [University of Venice) GLinther Crcwendoti GocuhoUniversity, Frankflirt) LiJUme HatgOinan (Lfnivcrsity oi Lilit France) , Hubert Haider (Univtrsily of Salzburg) Christer Plaizack (LfniversUy oi' Lund) Ian Robert (University of Stuttgart} Ktn Safir (Rutgers University. New Brunswick N)) HfiykuldKr Thriiiisson (Lfniversity of Icd indj Reykjavik) Lisa JeMLna Travis {McGill University) Sten Vikner [Univcrsily of StuM art) C . Un-Wouter Zwart (University of Gron in gen) Andre Memunger Syntactic Aspects of Topic and Comweni SYNTACTIC ASPECTS OF TOPIC AND COMMENT ANDRE MEINUNGER Zentmmjur AUgemeine Sprachwissenschaji, Berlin )OHN BENJAMINS PUBLISHING COMPANY AMSTERDAM / PHILADELPHIA TM oo Tke paper used in this pLiblicatlcHi meets the nimifmim requiiemecils of t A[ne] Lcan. National Standard for hifbnnation Sciences - Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Mate-riais, AMiil 'jLy-y. H-ty&q. Lihrjf) of Coii ress Catjio in in-PubLic tion Diiti Meiiiunger. Andre. Syntatic aspects of topic and comment / Andre tvf einunger. cm. - [Lingutstik aktueLl / Lin tstics today. ISSN oito-awx v. w\ Revisio]! of the authoi's thesis (Discourse depe]ide]it DP (de-J placement}. 15 4/1 5 Includes bibliographical refere]ice.s and indexes. 1 Grammar. Comparative and general--Topic and comment. 2. Grammar. Comparative and general-Syntax. I. Title. IL. Ltnguistik alctuell ; Bd. ii. p . . 4l5"dc2l -0 4203 ttiSN 0 272 27Sy 4 (CUli) j 1 55619 9&q y [til] (Hb; all?, paper) ® 2wu - John Benjamin?; B.V, No part ofthip book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any other means, without written permission from the publisher. John fl&njatnins Publiahm Co. P.O.Box 75577 1070 aw Amsterdam The Netherlands john Benunins North America P.O.Box 275 iy Philadelphia pa 19118 0319 vsa Table of contents Acknoulcdgmcnts ix List of frequent ahhrc\ tiaiis Mi Introduction: Sonic phiLosophical reflections - . 1 Chapter 1 Discourse dependent tree splitting II 1] II . Word order and intonation 12 The encoding of sentence functional perspeclivie J 3 Vallduvi s tripartition J 4 Topic-comment structures 1 4 1 Partee s proposal - Recursiveness in focus-background splitting J 4 2 A formal account of topic-comment strnctures (Kriilca . . . . . 3