Klaus-Michael Köpcke

Schemas in German plural formation

Abstract In a structural theory of morphology based on an ‘Item-and-Process’ model the plural marking system of German appears to be a complex series of unmotivated rules and lists of exceptions. Experimental data show that at a general level adult speakers of German make use of certain tendencies in the existing nominal lexicon when asked to assign the plural to nonce words. However, on a specific level subjects deviate substantially from existing patterns in the lexicon. These deviations are accounted for by a psychological model of the ‘cue strength’ of specific morphemes based on their salience frequency, and cue validity, and a process of plural schema matching. Additional support for the plural schema approach is drawn from plural assignment to recent loanwords and from historical changes in the plural marking system of German.

Affect classification in the German gender system

Abstract Gender has traditionally been cited as a paradigm instance of the arbitrariness of language. This paper builds on previous evidence provided by the authors showing that gender classification is not arbitrary in German, but rather forms a complex system based on phonetic and semantic organizing principles. Within the affect lexicon a set of compounds formed with the last member - mut is first experimentally evaluated and shown to have masc -gender or fem -gender assignment depending on the affective Extroversion or Introversion of the noun. The resulting classification is then applied to nouns with the derivational suffix - nis , which are shown to have a strong association between fem -gender and Introverted affect. Following this the classification is applied to a thorough sample of 177 affect nouns drawn from the entire lexicon. Here there is also shown to be a strong association between masc -gender and Extroverted affect, and between fem -gender and Introverted affect. An additional group of fem -gender nouns expressing arousal is uncovered. Thus the distribution of gender in the general affective lexicon supports the experimental results based on mut -compounds. Finally, historical evidence shows that (a) a number of nouns have undergone formal or semantic changes, and (b) a number of borrowed or newly coined nouns have received gender assignments in accordance with the hypothesized affect classification. It is concluded that the semantic organization of gender in the affective lexicon has a prototype structure as depicted e.g. by Rosch (1977).

On correlations between word order and pragmatic function of conditional sentences in German

Abstract In German, the apodosis of conditional sentences may be syntacticized as either VS (integrative word order) or TOP-V (non-integrative word order). In this article, we attempt to provide a semantically and pragmatically based explanation for this syntactic variation. We shall demonstrate that the speakers communicative intentions correlate with the word order in the apodosis. In general, ‘content conditionality’ is syntacticized through VS-order in the apodosis, whereas ‘relevance conditionality’ corresponds to TOP-V-order in the consequent clause. However, this tendency is overridden by two principles which we term ego involvement and speakers degree of certainty. In those cases in which the speaker of a content conditional intends to convey a strong ego involvement, s/he will resort to TOP-V; conversely, a relevance conditional may be grammaticalized as VS if the speaker wishes to communicate that the content of the apodosis does not constitute an item of factual knowledge, but rather his/her personal opinion about the truth of some proposition.

A COGNITIVE APPROACH TO OBLIGATORY CONTROL PHENOMENA IN ENGLISH AND GERMAN

The aim of this paper is to develop a uniform semantic-pragmatic theory of controller choice for a number of German and English subject control verbs like promise/versprechen and object control verbs like request/bitten which prototypically require a complement clause denoting an action performed by a human agent, who is left unexpressed in the infinitive clause.

Der Erwerb morphologischer Ausdrucksmittel durch L2-Lerner am Beispiel der Personalflexion

In dem vorliegenden Aufsatz soll der Erwerb der Personalflexion unter natürlichen Erwerbsbedingungen durch erwachsene L2-Lerner untersucht werden. Damit wird ein Forschungsgegenstand thematisiert, der in der L2-Forschung bisher nur wenig Beachtung gefunden hat, denn bezüglich des Erwerbs von Flexionsparadigmen bei Verben konzentrierte man sich bisher vor allem auf Tempusund Aspektmarkierungen, vgl. z. B. Dittmar (1981), Meisel (1986) und Stutterheim (1984). Es ist das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit, mittels der exemplarischen Untersuchung eines kleinen Teilbereichs der Grammatik zu einem tieferen Verständnis der menschlichen Sprachlernfähigkeit beizutragen. Zum Begriff der Sprachlernfähigkeit in der L2-Forschung vgl. z. B. Felix (1982) und Wode (1981). Grundlage für die vorliegende Untersuchung sind die im Rahmen des ZIS AProjekts in den Jahren 1978 bis 1981 erhobenen Longitudinaldaten von 7 Sprechern mit romanischer Muttersprache. Hierbei handelte es sich um vier Italiener, zwei Spanier und eine Portugiesin, die regelmäßig im Abstand von zwei bis vier Wochen von Mitarbeitern des Projekts besucht und interviewt wurden. In der Regel fanden diese Gespräche, die in ihrer Themenstellung von den Interviewern nicht vorstrukturiert waren, in den Wohnungen der L2-Lerner statt, und nicht selten waren andere Familienmitglieder oder Freunde und Bekannte anwesend. Wenn man davon ausgeht, daß erwachsenen L2-Lernern die durch die

Nominalphrasen ohne lexikalischen Kopf Zur Bedeutung des Genus für die Organisation des mentalen Lexikons am Beispiel der Autobezeichnungen im Deutschen

Car names and car-referring expressions are analysed such as (a) “der Berlingo Multispace Ocean,” with characteristic default masculine gender in spite of the absence of a gender-bearing head; (b) “der Audi A3 TDI Ambition Automatik” with default masculine gender despite the presence of an apparent divergent gender-bearing head; and (c) “das weise BuickElektra-Cabrio” with divergent gender (feminine or neuter) conforming to its apparent gender-bearing head. These cause special problems for both a linguistic theory of lexeme-based gender assignment, and a psycholinguistic production theory for gender percolation to NPs. We suggest a motivated basis for considering types (a) and (b) to be syntactically headless, as opposed to type (c). Furthermore, we propose that NP types (a) and (b) receive their default masculine gender assignment through a pragmatic projection directly linked to the conceptualization of the referent as a car (and not from any Lemma in the NP), whereas NP type (c) inherits its gender from a Lemma that is lexically coded for gender; this suggests a revision to Bock & Levelt (1994) style production models. We support these claims with an extensive sample of car-referring expressions from a newspaper database. Finally, we suggest that lexical material in car-referring expressions such as “Siena,” “Oktavia,” or “518i” are instances of field-external lexemes which are either borrowed from another semantic field, or are not resident in any field at all; and thus do not bear lexical gender in carreferring expressions.

Grammatik--Lehren, Lernen, Verstehen : Zugänge zur Grammatik des Gegenwartsdeutschen

This volume gives an up-to-date view of international research on the practice and theory of language teaching. It shows the relevance of grammar research to the demands of language teaching today, set between German lessons, teacher training and study of the German language. It also contributes to a confrontation of established views of grammar work at school and in lessons with current linguistic approaches.

Die sogenannte i-Derivation in der deutschen Gegenwartssprache : Ein Fall für output-orientierte Wortbildung

This paper deals with the currently very productive process of i-formation in German. It is argued that in forming i-derived words speakers try to instantiate as closely as possible a specific schema with attributes such as the following: trochaic word structure with the unstressed final segment i, masculine gender assignment, human, and hypocoristic/pejorative meaning. The prototypical instances are defined by a maximal number of attributes. Consequently, a distinction has to be made between central and peripheral members of this formation type.

Regularität und Irregularität in der Kasusmorphologie deutscher Sprachinselvarietäten (Russland, Brasilien)

Um solche Regelmäßigkeiten zu entdecken, ist das Pr ojekt als vergleichende Sprachinselforschung angelegt: Um das Zusammenwirken von Sprac hw ndel, Konvergenz und Sprachwechsel in Rechnung stellen und diese Phänomene untersc heiden zu können, werden unterschiedliche Sprachinselvarietäten (ostniederdeutsche und westob rdeutsche bzw. westmitteldeutsche Varietäten) im Kontakt mit morphologisch sehr unterschie dlichen Kontaktsprachen (Russisch und brasilianisches Portugiesisch) sowie bei Sprechern unterschiedlichen Alters in Sprechsituationen unterschiedlicher Formalität untersucht.

Zur Identifikation leerer Subjekte in infinitivischen Komplementsätzen: ein semantisch-pragmatisches Modell

The interpretation of empty elements, i.e. signs that have no phonetic realization, constitutes a classical problem in modern linguistics. Null elements have been postulated on various levels of the linguistic system and its pragmatic use, in particular, in morphology and syntax. An adequate theory of discourse comprehension also requires an account of what is not said but only conversationally implicated. In the last thirty years the interpretation of empty subjects in non-finite clauses, which is known as the control problem, has attracted the attention of many formal syntacticians. It has however become increasingly clear that the interpretation of such empty elements is only minimally guided by syntactic principles; in addition, a number of semantic and pragmatic factors have to be taken into consideration. The aim of our contribution is to sketch a cognitively based theory of obligatory control that explains how general control principles interact with language-specific coding devices. We focus on German data; we surmise, however, that they also hold for other languages. In particular, we aim at elucidating the interplay of syntactic, semantic and pragmatic information in the comprehension of empty subjects in non-finite complement clauses. Using German and, to a lesser extent, English examples, we will demonstrate that the control principles we postulate account for numerous control verbs and control verb classes.