LINGUIST List 6.1511

Fri Oct 27 1995

Calls: Specifiers, Germanic syntax newsletter

Editor for this issue: Ann Dizdar <dizdartam2000.tamu.edu>

Directory

1. D Adger, SPECIFIERS: Final Call for Papers
2. Gert Webelhuth, Fall 1995 Issue of Generative Germanic Syntax Newsletter: Call

 Final Call For Papers

 SPECIFIERS

 To be held at
 University of York
 the King's Manor, York, UK
 21st-23rd March 1996

Deadline: 10th November 1995

Invited Speakers

Jane Grimshaw	Rita Manzini
Teun Hoekstra	Ian Roberts
Peggy Speas


"Specifier" has had a range of meanings in generative syntax, with the
recent consensus that a specifier is a position structurally defined
by X-bar theory. If current proposals by Chomsky are correct, then it
is no longer possible to define specifier in precisely this way and
the question of what a specifier is is thrown into sharp relief. There
are at least four broad areas of concern:

What are specifiers structurally ?
Are they always present in a derivation? How do
they differ from adjuncts? Differences between
specifiers of lexical and functional heads; multiple specifier
constructions etc. What is the Specifier-head relationship? How do
the Wh-criterion and related criteria for focus, voice, negation
etc. work? How does the spec-head relationship motivate movement? The
directionality of checking theory; how does one capture
cross-linguistic/diachronic variation in this area? "doubly-filled"
effects etc. How are Specifiers relevant to fields of enquiry
adjacent to syntax? Do Specifiers have a special status in L1/L2
acquisition? How are specifier positions mapped onto semantic
representations? Do specifiers have a morphological status? etc. How
are Specifier-specific phenomena captured in other frameworks? HPSG;
Optimality theoretic syntax; LFG; categorial frameworks etc.

Contributors should send 5 anonymous copies of an abstract not
exceeding 1 page (a separate page containing references may be
included), plus one camera ready original containing author's name,
address, affiliation and e-mail address. Abstracts may not be
submitted by email or fax. Presentations will be for 30 minutes + 10
minutes questions. The deadline for abstract submission is November
10th 1995.

We intend to publish a volume based on the conference and with this in
mind we welcome papers on a broad range of topics from
psycholinguistic, acquisitional, semantic and morphological
perspectives, as well as purely syntactic.

For further information contact the organising committee: David Adger;
Susan Pintzuk; Bernadette Plunkett and Georges Tsoulas.
email: lang7tower.york.ac.uk
http://www.york.ac.uk/~lang7/
Tel: 44 (0)1904 432650 Fax: 44 (0)1904 432652
Dept. of Language and Linguistic Science, Universty of York, Heslington,
York, YO1 5DD

The editors of the Germanic Generative Syntax Newsletter are getting
ready to compile the Fall edition of 1995. This newsletter is
published twice a year and contains information of relevance to
linguists working on the syntax of the Germanic languages (old and
new, EXCEPT Modern English). The newsletter includes:

Bibliographical references to unpublished manuscripts; Half-page
abstracts of unpublished manuscripts or papers published within the
last six months; 1-page abstracts of book manuscripts, dissertations,
and books published within the last six months; Conference
announcements; Conference descriptions; Half-page abstracts of
conference talks; Special bibliographies on a topic of general
interest.


Please send any information that you would like to be included in the
next newsletter to:

 webelhuthunc.edu .

Please be sure:

- to send your material by MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13;
- to send only material in ASCII;
- to check that what you are sending is complete and error-free;
- not to exceed the length limits specified above.

Professors, students, and everybody else whose writings fall within
the limits of the title of the newsletter are encouraged to submit
information. Choice of theoretical framework is not criterial
either. We always have a hard time receiving information about
conferences. Few people come forward and submit information about
them. It would be great to have descriptions about who spoke where
about what, etc. Thus, if you recently went to a conference mostly on
Germanic, you might want to write a half-page or one-page description
of what went on. Please understand, however, that we cannot spend our
resources on conference schedules that only have a couple or so papers
on the topic of the newsletter.

The newsletter is distributed both in electronic and in paper
form. Since our resources are always scarce, it is MUCH preferred for
new subscribers to choose the electronic version. Both versions are
free, however.


To subscribe to the electronic version of the GGSN newsletter, please
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