Prof. Henk van Riemsdijk
Syntax des Westgermanischen, VO, 2st
Proseminar zur Syntax des Westgermanischen, PS, 2st
Erster Termin: Montag, 3. Mai 12.00, Seminarraum 1, 12-14 Uhr
In these lectures I intend to discuss a number of empirical domains in Germanic syntax that
are closely related to some major analytical and theoretical issues in syntactic theory. The
theoretical notions that are central all cluster around the central question of the nature of
syntactic representations. More specifically, I will focus on two issues:
1.
What exactly are extended projections; how is the gray zone between
mono-clausality and bi-clausality (or rather: mono- and biprojectionality) structured?
2.
Are all syntactic objects representable by simplex trees?
3.
How, or to what extent, are syntactic structures conditioned by some of
the same abstract principles as phonological ones?
The empirical areas that will be discussed in more detail with a view towards these
theoretical questions are the following:

Silent verbs. This is about constructions like Wir dürfen in die Stadt
which arguably involves a silent (empty) motion verbs GO. Many
more constructions, also from outside the Germanic languages, will be
invoked to argue that silent verbs exist. We will attempt to determine
under what morphological and licensing conditions silent verbs can
occur. This is particularly relevant for the questions under 1. Cf. Van
Riemsdijk(2002)

Grafts. By this I mean constructions that involve two syntactic objects
whose structures are essentially independent of each other but that are
linked through some shared element; particular attention will be
devoted to various types of free relative clauses. This addresses
question 2. Cf. Van Riemsdijk (2001)

Relative clauses in Swiss German. Here we will show that there is a
kind of conspiracy. There must be a correlative item, this item must
move if it can, the complementizer wo must survive, the Doubly Filled
COMP Filter applies with full force, and specified deletion applies to
phonologically identical elements. The latter two can be seen as
reflexes of the OCP. Hence this subtopic addresses question 3. Cf. Van
Riemsdijk (2003)
References:
Riemsdijk, Henk C. van. 2001. A Far from Simple Matter. Syntactic Reflexes of Syntax-Pragmatics
Misalignments. In Perspectives on Semantics, Pragmatics, and Discourse, eds. István Kenesei and
Robert M. Harnish, 21-41. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Riemsdijk, Henk C. van. 2002. The Unbearable Lightness of Going. The Projection Parameter as a Pure
Parameter Governing the Distribution of Elliptic Motion Verbs in Germanic. Journal of Comparative
Germanic Linguistics 5:143-196.
Riemsdijk, Henk C. van. 2003. East Meets West: Aboutness Relatives in Swiss German. In Germania Et Alia. A
Liinguistic Webschrift for Hans Den Besten, eds. Jan Koster and Henk C. van Riemsdijk. Groningen /
Tilburg: University of Groningen & Tilburg University.
URL: http://odur.let.rug.nl/~koster/DenBesten/Riemsdijk.pdf