Scandinavian Object Shift and Optimality Theory

by E. Engels, S. Vikner

Overview

This book presents an account of object shift, a word order phenomenon found in most of the Scandinavian languages where an object occurs unexpectedly to the left and not to the right of a sentential adverbial. With new and original observations, it is an important addition to the fields of phonology, optimality theory and theoretical syntax.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781137431639
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan UK
Publication date:	05/30/2014
Series:	Palgrave Pivot
Edition description:	2014
Pages:	154
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Sten Vikner is Associate Professor in English linguistics, University of Aarhus, Denmark. His previous publications include Verb Movement and Expletive Subjects in the Germanic Languages and Studies in Comparative Germanic Syntax (co-edited), and he is the Editor of the Nordic Journal of Linguistics. He researches Germanic comparative syntax, with a particular interest in how and why word order varies between languages.

Eva Engels is Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Aesthetics and Communication at Aarhus University, Denmark. Her previous publications include Optimizing Adverb Positions as well as various book chapters and journal articles. Her research focuses on the comparative syntax of the Germanic languages and on how Optimality Theory applies to syntax.

Table of Contents

PART I: OBJECT SHIFT 1. Introduction 2. Object Shift 3. Optimality Theory 4. An Optimality Theory Analysis of Object Shift 5. Conclusion PART II: OBJECT SHIFT IN REMNANT VP-TOPICALISATION CONSTRUCTIONS 6. Introduction 7. V°-Topicalisation vs. Remnant VP-topicalisation 8. Object Shift and Remnant VP-topicalisation in Optimality Theory 9. Conclusion