Particle topicalization and German clause structure

Trotzke, Andreas; Quaglia, Stefano

Particle topicalization and German clause structure

Files

Trotzke_0-348366.pdf(166.26 KB)

Date

2016

Publication type

Journal article

Publication status

Published

Published in

The Journal of Comparative Germanic Linguistics ; 19 (2016), 2. - pp. 109-141. - ISSN 1383-4924. - eISSN 1572-8552

Abstract

In this paper, we provide a comprehensive account of the phenomenon of topicalizing verb particles in German. Based on the data we discuss, we argue that only a version of the Split-CP hypothesis for the German clause can account for the observations. Section 1 critiques previous accounts of particle topicalization and discusses some properties of particles that are potentially relevant to topicalization. We conclude that a particle’s ability to be topicalized depends more on its ability to be contrasted with other particles than on the semantic autonomy of the particle per se. Section 2 discusses unexpected cases of non-contrastable particles in the left periphery. In this context, we introduce a previously unnoticed phenomenon in which particle verbs denoting strongly emotionally evaluated situations allow their particles to be topicalized, even if the particle does not receive a contrastive interpretation. In Sect. 3, we show that an elaborated syntax of the German left periphery of the kind argued for in cartographic approaches is uniquely able to predict the distribution of topicalized particles.

Subject (DDC)

400 Philology, Linguistics

Keywords

Contrast, Emphasis, Expressive content, Left periphery, Particle verbs, Topicalization

Cite This

ISO 690

TROTZKE, Andreas, Stefano QUAGLIA, 2016. Particle topicalization and German clause structure. In: The Journal of Comparative Germanic Linguistics. 19(2), pp. 109-141. ISSN 1383-4924. eISSN 1572-8552. Available under: doi: 10.1007/s10828-016-9080-y

BibTex

@article{Trotzke2016-07-05Parti-34846,
  year={2016},
  doi={10.1007/s10828-016-9080-y},
  title={Particle topicalization and German clause structure},
  number={2},
  volume={19},
  issn={1383-4924},
  journal={The Journal of Comparative Germanic Linguistics},
  pages={109--141},
  author={Trotzke, Andreas and Quaglia, Stefano}
}

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Bibliography of Konstanz

Yes