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Nominal arguments and nominal predicates

Julien, Marit LU (2006)
Abstract
It is generally assumed that whereas referential nominal phrases are at least of DP size, predicative nominal phrases are structurally smaller. However, this paper argues that at least in Scandinavian, predicative nominal phrases as well as referential nominal phrases can be bigger than, equal to, or smaller than DP. Hence, the only consistent difference between nominal arguments and nominal predicates appears to be a semantic one: predicates but not arguments get a purely intensional interpretation. Some nominal phrases are only good as arguments because their lexical content makes a purely intensional reading hard to get. It is however difficult, if not impossible, to connect the semantic difference between nominal predicates and nominal... (More)
It is generally assumed that whereas referential nominal phrases are at least of DP size, predicative nominal phrases are structurally smaller. However, this paper argues that at least in Scandinavian, predicative nominal phrases as well as referential nominal phrases can be bigger than, equal to, or smaller than DP. Hence, the only consistent difference between nominal arguments and nominal predicates appears to be a semantic one: predicates but not arguments get a purely intensional interpretation. Some nominal phrases are only good as arguments because their lexical content makes a purely intensional reading hard to get. It is however difficult, if not impossible, to connect the semantic difference between nominal predicates and nominal arguments to any systematic difference in syntactic structure. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
nominal phrases arguments predicates bare nouns
host publication
Comparative Studies in Germanic Syntax: From Afrikaans to Zurich German
editor
Hartmann, Jutta M. and Molnarfi, Laszlo
publisher
John Benjamins Publishing Company
ISBN
90 272 3361 6
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Swedish (015011001)
id
4e46d981-9952-45e5-9e79-cb98e8e0ce71 (old id 539213)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 10:06:49
date last changed
2018-11-21 20:56:50
@inbook{4e46d981-9952-45e5-9e79-cb98e8e0ce71,
  abstract     = {{It is generally assumed that whereas referential nominal phrases are at least of DP size, predicative nominal phrases are structurally smaller. However, this paper argues that at least in Scandinavian, predicative nominal phrases as well as referential nominal phrases can be bigger than, equal to, or smaller than DP. Hence, the only consistent difference between nominal arguments and nominal predicates appears to be a semantic one: predicates but not arguments get a purely intensional interpretation. Some nominal phrases are only good as arguments because their lexical content makes a purely intensional reading hard to get. It is however difficult, if not impossible, to connect the semantic difference between nominal predicates and nominal arguments to any systematic difference in syntactic structure.}},
  author       = {{Julien, Marit}},
  booktitle    = {{Comparative Studies in Germanic Syntax: From Afrikaans to Zurich German}},
  editor       = {{Hartmann, Jutta M. and Molnarfi, Laszlo}},
  isbn         = {{90 272 3361 6}},
  keywords     = {{nominal phrases arguments predicates bare nouns}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{John Benjamins Publishing Company}},
  title        = {{Nominal arguments and nominal predicates}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}