LINGUIST List 7.187

Tue Feb 6 1996

Qs: Generative Typology, Syntax and Pragmatics, Dutch

Editor for this issue: Ljuba Veselinova <lveselinemunix.emich.edu>

Directory

1. jaretu.washington.edu, generative typology
2. Robert J. Hartsuiker, Question: pragmatic function of syntax
3. Superuser, Dutch verbal constructions

I am interested in what generative grammarians have to say about
language typology. Can anybody please tell me what books or papers to
read?

Thank you. I'll post a summary.

Frank Jaret

I was wondering whether there is a connection between syntactic
aspects of a sentence and the pragmatic impact it has, like in
topicalisation. In particular, I'm interested in the active/passive
distinction and dative alternation in English and Dutch. My intuition
says that whereas passivization serves a pragmatic goal,
e.g. topicalisation of the 'recipient', this is not true of dative
sentences like (1a-b) below:

1a. The widow gave a Mercedes to the church
1b. The widow gave the church a Mercedes

Can anyone (dis)confirm my intuition? Pointers to relevant literature
would be appreciated.

 --Robert Hartsuiker (hartsuikernici.kun.nl)


Robert J. Hartsuiker
NICI, KU Nijmegen
PO BOX 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen
The Netherlands
hartsuikernici.kun.nl
+31 24 3612608

	Sender: Henk Wolf (wolffa.knaw.nl)
	Subject: Dutch verbal constructions

	To: Lowlands-L, the Linguist List

Recently I came across the following data:

(1) Ze zagen de bergbeklimmers de top bereikt hebben
(2) *Ze zagen de bergbeklimmers de top hebben bereikt

Does anyone know of literature dealing with the grammaticality
distinction in (1) and (2)? Any clues, tips, references?

Groet,
Henk Wolf
wolffa.knaw.nl