LINGUIST List 13.3188

Wed Dec 4 2002

Qs: Canonical Order, Conditional Sentences

Editor for this issue: Renee Galvis <reneelinguistlist.org>



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  • FIDELHOLTZ DOOCHIN JAMES LAWRENCE, Canonical order
  • Rita Moraes, Conditional Sentences - Semantics

    Message 1: Canonical order

     Date: Wed, 4 Dec 2002 10:23:34 -0600 (CST)
    From: FIDELHOLTZ DOOCHIN JAMES LAWRENCE <jfidelsiu.buap.mx>
    Subject: Canonical order


    Dear List:

    I am directing a thesis on punctuation in Spanish (reputedly, and pretty much in fact, a 'free word order' language), in which the student is trying to postulate punctuation rules based on the 'canonical order' of Spanish constituents and its variations.

    I have the very firm idea that canonical order is that in part because it is the most frequent order in the language. However, I have done no research on this supposed fact, and cannot think of any offhand. Does anyone know of any work on the relative frequency of sentences in canonical order and those showing variation in that order? Of course, this would be especially useful in a 'free word order' language like Spanish, but anything would be welcome. Likewise, she would be interested in the relative frequency of the different orders of the basic elements, if anyone knows of any work on that (one type of sentence and its variants that she is working with is SUBJECT - VERB - OBJECT - CIRCUMSTANTIAL_COMPLEMENT -- the last is normally a prepositional phrase or adverbial phrase; this would produce in principle 24 different orders in this case, *all* of which are attested and attestable in Spanish, though presumably with rather different relative frequencies of use).

    She would also like to know who was the first person to coin the term 'canonical order', or to whom it is attributed. (Or is it just an idea that 'grew'? This last seems to me to be unlikely, but if anyone has any really old references to the notion, I guess I might have to accept it)

    Thanks. Jim

    James L. Fidelholtz e-mail: jfidelsiu.buap.mx

    Message 2: Conditional Sentences - Semantics

     Date: Wed, 04 Dec 2002 14:13:42 +0000
    From: Rita Moraes <titaeleutig.com.br>
    Subject: Conditional Sentences - Semantics


    Please,

    I'd like to know what is the semantic function of the conditional sentences. I also ask if someone has hints or papers about conditional sentences in english or mainly in portuguese.

    Thanks

    Subject-Language: English;Portuguese; Code: POR

    Language-Family: English;Latin Subgroup; Code: IEJAA