LINGUIST List 8.1094

Sat Jul 26 1997

Qs: Jespersen, cleft sentences, Yiddish

Editor for this issue: Martin Jacobsen <martylinguistlist.org>

We'd like to remind readers that the responses to queries are usually best posted to the individual asking the question. That individual is then strongly encouraged to post a summary to the list. This policy was instituted to help control the huge volume of mail on LINGUIST; so we would appreciate your cooperating with it whenever it seems appropriate.

Directory

  1. lichao, query
  2. Tom Leverett, cleft sentence
  3. Gisbert Fanselow, Query: Yiddish & partial movement

Message 1: query

 Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 20:18:03 +0800 (TAIST)
From: lichao <lichaoibm320h.phy.pku.edu.cn>
Subject: query

Dear fellow linguists,

Now I am preparing my thesis. I am intereted in Jespersen's view on 
linguistic change, and will work on that. Jespersen saw linguistic 
evolution as a progress rather than a decay. P. Christophersen says this is 
"a view which few nowadays would endorse." But I show much doubt on this. 
If any linguist likes to have his comments on Jespersen's theory shared, 
I will show great appreciation. Also if anyone can provide me with the 
information on the books or articles dealing with J's progressive view on 
linguistic change, or his theory in general, I will be grafteful. I wish 
to contact with everyone who is interested in Jespersen and in the topic 
of linguistic change. Please tell your address. I will write a summary, 
if necessary. Thank you in advance.

Li Chao
lichaoibm320h.phy.pku.edu.cn
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Message 2: cleft sentence

 Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 04:17:28 -0600
From: Tom Leverett <leverettsiu.edu>
Subject: cleft sentence

Greetings!
 I have a question about the following sentences:
(1) She did not realize that she had forgotten her book until she got to class.
(2) It was not until she got to class that she realized that she had forgotten
her book.
(3) It was not until she got to class she realized that she had forgotten
her book.
(4) It was until she got to class that she didn't realize that she had
forgotten her book.
 My sense is that (3) and (4) are wrong, but I would like a reasonable
explanation of why. Can anyone help? Apologies if the subject has already
come up. TIA- Tom Leverett, CESL, SIU-Carbondale, Carbondale IL USA
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Message 3: Query: Yiddish & partial movement

 Date: Thu, 24 Jul 1997 14:49:01 +0200 (MET DST)
From: Gisbert Fanselow <fanselowrz.uni-potsdam.de>
Subject: Query: Yiddish & partial movement

Given that German, Polish and Russian allow different versions
of the partial movement option for question formation, I
am wondering what options Yiddish has for forming wh-questions.

Please reply to

fanselowrz.uni-potsdam.de

 
Gisbert Fanselow
Lx, University of Potsdam, 
P.O. Box 601553, D-14415 Potsdam, Germany
Fon: x49-331-977-2446
Fax: x49-331-977-2761
URL: http://www.ling.uni-potsdam.de/~fanselow/
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