[PDF] - I. BASIC VERB-PLACEMENT PATTERNS IN SWISS GERMAN Matrix clauses: PDF Document

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I. BASIC VERB-PLACEMENT PATTERNS IN SWISS GERMAN

Matrix clauses: Verb Second (1) a. De Beowulf isch en ganz en tapfere Maa. the Beowulf is a very a brave man "Beowulf is a very brave man." b. Vorem Grendel händ alli Angscht gha.

"Everybody was afraid of Grendel." Embedded clauses: Verb-final (2) a. De Grendel gseht [dass de Beowulf en Schtei macht]. the Grendel sees that the Beowulf a stone makes "Grendel sees that Beowulf is in a bad mood." b. De Grendel isch froh [wenn-er-en achli närfe cha]. the Grendel is glad when-he-him a bit irritate can "Grendel is happy when he can irritate him a bit." Extraposition to the right can mask the verb-final pattern: (3) a. ... [dass'-em en Kuss geh hät uf t Bagge] that-she-him a kiss given has on the cheek "that she kissed him on the cheek" b. ... [dass-er-si hät wöle hürote] that-he-her has want(ed) marry "that he wanted to marry her" (4) a. ... [dass si schlooft am Mittag] that she sleeps at lunchtime b. ....[dass si hät wöle schloofe] that she has want(ed) sleep "that she wanted to sleep"

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Verb Second is possible in certain embedded clauses: (5) a. Es git Lüüt [die redet wunderbar Althochtütsch]. there are people who speak beautifully Old High German "There're people who speak Old High German beautifully" a'. Es git Lüüt [wo wunderbar Althochtütsch redet] there are people who beautifully Old High German speak b. Er mue müed gsi si [wil er hät ganz grossi Augering under de Auge gha]. he must tired been be because he has very big circles under the eyes had "He must have been very tired because he had shadows under his eyes." V2 is also possible in complements selected by bridge verbs (e.g. säge "say", glaube "believe", wüsse "know") and which are not introduced by a complementizer.

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II. A LOOK AT AN ADULT SAMPLE (of CH)

This sample consists of 459 embedded clauses. 411 of these embedded clauses do not involve verb movement, the remaining 48 embedded clauses involve the V2 pattern (not discussed here). Verb placement is grammatical in all of these embedded clauses.

not surface in clause-final position: due to Verb (Projection) Raising (V(P)R): ... [ wenn t ti aafosch lismei] ... [ subordinator subject (...) ti VVR XPi ] (… when/if you start to knit) due to Extraposition (Extra): ... [ wenn du ti zruggluegsch a dini Ziiti] ... [ subordinator subject (...) ti Vfin PPi ] (… when/if you look back to the time)

finite verb immediately after the subject coincides with the verb-final position: ... [öb Gfahr chunt] ... [subordinator subject Vfin] verb-end (VE) (… if danger is approaching)

final: ... [wem -mer umkeit] ... [wenn t etze prüelet hetsch] ... [subordinator XP XP (...) Vfin] verb-final (VF) (… when/if one suddenly falls over) (… if you had cried now)

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Table 1: Adult verb placement (input for child)

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III. 'GERMAN' CLAUSE STRUCTURE

(6)

"Rochus eats an (chocolate) Easter egg."

"This (chocolate) Easter egg, Rochus eats." (7) a. CP

Spec C'

I'

I

en Oschtereier tj b. CP

I'

I

ti tj

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(8) I weiss [dass de Rochus en Oschtereier ässt]. "I know that Rochus eats an Easter egg." (9) CP

en Oschtereier tj

(10) ForceP

FinP

Wackernagel-position

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EMBEDDED CLAUSES

GERMAN

clauses

errors SWISS-GERMAN DIALECTS

embedded clauses BE:

ZH: children (even after age 5;0) still produce verb- placement errors in any type of embedded clause (infrequent) LU: Before age 5;0 both Moira and Eliza move the finite verb in any type of embedded clause and hardly ever use the verb-final pattern (BE = Bernese, ZH = Zurich German, LU = Lucernese)

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Verb-placement patterns used by the two Lucernese children

Clauses introduced by a complementizer: I.

complementizer pronominal SU Vfin ...

complementizer Vfin SU ... (11) % wenn ich mach eso (M:4;08) when I make like this "when I do this" (12) a. % dass machsch du das (E:4;10) that make you this "that you do this"

(M:4;03) that turn my ears also brown "that my ears turn brown too" Relative clauses: II.

wo Vfin …

wo pronominal SU Vfin … (rare) Wh-complements: III.

Wh-constituent pronominal SU Vfin… (rare)

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Before age 4;11 the subject between the complementizer and the finite verb is always an unstressed subject pronoun.

There are two contexts in the child grammar in which unstressed subject pronouns can occur, either in [Spec,IP] –resulting in Complementizer Vfin pron. SU …–or in [Spec,FinP]–resulting in Complementizer pron. SU Vfin ….

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Non-pronominal SU move into [Spec,IP]. They cannot move into [Spec,FinP].

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1A: Clauses introduced by a complementizer* (Moira): V-movement vs. no V-movement (all)

No V-movement 453 V-movement 539

992 * dass "that", öb "whether, if", wenn "when, if"

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1B: Clauses introduced by a complementizer* (Moira): V-movement, ambiguous, no V-movement (all)

No V-movement 453 Ambiguous 241 V-movement 539

1233

* dass "that", öb "whether, if", wenn "when, if"

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1A': Clauses introduced by a complementizer* (Eliza) V-movement vs. no V-movement (all)

No V-movement 34 V-movement 73

107 * dass "that", öb "whether, if", wenn "when, if"

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1B': Clauses introduced by a complementizer* (Eliza) V-movement, ambiguous, no V-movement (all)

No V-movement 34 Ambiguous 40 V-movement 73

147 * dass "that", öb "whether, if", wenn "when, if"

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Children's non-target-consistent vs. ambiguous examples non-target-consistent (%) (16) % wenn die fahret so schnell (E:5;02) when these drive so fast (17) a.% dass das isch de Uhu (E:5;01) that this is the owl b.% dass er isch es eis (M:4;08) that he is a one (18) a.% öb's hät am Salot Lüüs … (M:4;02) if there has on-the salad greenfly b.% öb ich find nomel öppis (E:4;10) if I find again something ambiguous (19) wenn ich mues lache (M:5;04) when I must laugh (20) dass-mer cha t'Röschti ufsteche … (M:4;11) that-one can the rösti up-pick (21) öb er chämt dete zMittag ässe (M:4;06) if he could there to-lunch eat (22) wenn ich verlüre (M:4;09) when I lose