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Manner Modifiers as Syntactic Heads

Bogren Svensson, Victor LU (2023)
Abstract
The present dissertation concerns typologically unusual ways of encoding manner information, namely verbal affixes (manner affixes), incorporated constituents (incorporated manner modifiers) and auxiliary verbs (manner adverbial verbs). A key proposal is that all three are overt realizations of syntactic heads merged in the clausal spine, thereby presenting novel data that can be used to probe into the relationship between morphology and syntax.

Fieldwork data from West Greenlandic forms the basis of the discussion of manner affixes (chapter 3). This study was complemented by a typological survey of languages with manner affixes and incorporated manner modifiers (chapter 4). The study of manner adverbial verbs was based on... (More)
The present dissertation concerns typologically unusual ways of encoding manner information, namely verbal affixes (manner affixes), incorporated constituents (incorporated manner modifiers) and auxiliary verbs (manner adverbial verbs). A key proposal is that all three are overt realizations of syntactic heads merged in the clausal spine, thereby presenting novel data that can be used to probe into the relationship between morphology and syntax.

Fieldwork data from West Greenlandic forms the basis of the discussion of manner affixes (chapter 3). This study was complemented by a typological survey of languages with manner affixes and incorporated manner modifiers (chapter 4). The study of manner adverbial verbs was based on linguistic fieldwork on Takituduh Bunun, and on already published data on other Austronesian languages spoken on Taiwan (chapter 5).

I show that these manner modifiers are limited to a low position in the clausal spine, which is reflected in their linear order in relation to other functional categories merged in the clausal spine (TAM, negation, valency changing morphology), both on a word and clausal level. The hierarchical position of these manner modifiers in West Greenlandic and Takituduh Bunun exhibits limited but productive variation, which is reflected in linear order and scope interpretation. This constitutes novel arguments against a cartographic conception of the clausal spine, instead favouring a conception of the clausal spine as divided into distinct sortal domains that constrain the distribution of functional categories, but that still allow for a degree of variation in hierarchical ordering within the different sortal domains. Novel statistical implicational universals are also presented, covering both the semantic and morphosyntactic properties of manner affixes and incorporated manner modifiers. (Less)
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author
supervisor
opponent
  • Professor Harley, Heidi, University of Arizona
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
manner modifier, Incorporation, affixation, adverbial verb, morphology-syntax interface, Inuit languages, Formosan languages
pages
243 pages
publisher
Centre for Languages and Literature, Lund University
defense location
Hörsalen (H104), SOL
defense date
2023-12-16 10:15:00
ISBN
9789189874077
9789189874077
project
Verbal affixes and auxiliary verbs as manner modifiers.
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d41dd7b9-6010-4206-aedc-d04aea249fac
date added to LUP
2023-11-16 14:14:24
date last changed
2023-11-17 14:57:59
@phdthesis{d41dd7b9-6010-4206-aedc-d04aea249fac,
  abstract     = {{The present dissertation concerns typologically unusual ways of encoding manner information, namely verbal affixes (manner affixes), incorporated constituents (incorporated manner modifiers) and auxiliary verbs (manner adverbial verbs). A key proposal is that all three are overt realizations of syntactic heads merged in the clausal spine, thereby presenting novel data that can be used to probe into the relationship between morphology and syntax.<br/><br/>Fieldwork data from West Greenlandic forms the basis of the discussion of manner affixes (chapter 3). This study was complemented by a typological survey of languages with manner affixes and incorporated manner modifiers (chapter 4). The study of manner adverbial verbs was based on linguistic fieldwork on Takituduh Bunun, and on already published data on other Austronesian languages spoken on Taiwan (chapter 5).<br/><br/>I show that these manner modifiers are limited to a low position in the clausal spine, which is reflected in their linear order in relation to other functional categories merged in the clausal spine (TAM, negation, valency changing morphology), both on a word and clausal level. The hierarchical position of these manner modifiers in West Greenlandic and Takituduh Bunun exhibits limited but productive variation, which is reflected in linear order and scope interpretation. This constitutes novel arguments against a cartographic conception of the clausal spine, instead favouring a conception of the clausal spine as divided into distinct sortal domains that constrain the distribution of functional categories, but that still allow for a degree of variation in hierarchical ordering within the different sortal domains. Novel statistical implicational universals are also presented, covering both the semantic and morphosyntactic properties of manner affixes and incorporated manner modifiers.}},
  author       = {{Bogren Svensson, Victor}},
  isbn         = {{9789189874077}},
  keywords     = {{manner modifier; Incorporation; affixation; adverbial verb; morphology-syntax interface; Inuit languages; Formosan languages}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{10}},
  publisher    = {{Centre for Languages and Literature, Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  title        = {{Manner Modifiers as Syntactic Heads}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/165087726/Dissertation_Victor_Bogren_Svensson.pdf}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}