Peter Siemund

Language Typology and Syntactic Description: Speech act distinctions in grammar

Sentences like these are special insofar as their utterance in appropriate circumstances amounts to performing the action identified by the finite verb. The typical formal properties of such sentences in English include first person subjects, second person indirect objects, a present tense non-progressive active form of a speech act verb and the deictic adverb hereby, but performative sentences may also be in the passive voice, contain modal hedges and a nominalization instead of a verb:

Pronominal Gender in English : A Study of English Varieties from a Cross-Linguistic Perspective

Abbreviations Acknowledgments 1 Introduction 2 The Southwest of England 3 Newfoundland 4 Tasmania and other Parts of Australia 5 Informal Spoken American English 6 Fictional Texts 7 Generalizations across Varieties of English 8 Modern Standard English 9 A Cross-linguistic View on English Varieties 10 The Categorial Status of Pronominal Mass/Count-Agreement 11 Conclusion and Outlook Bibliography

Locally free self -forms, logophoricity, and intensification in English

The article discusses the distribution and meaning of ‘locally free reflexives’ (‘untriggered reflexives’, ‘viewpoint reflexives’, ‘perspective logophors’) in English. After a thorough assessment of the contextual constraints on the use of such locally free self -forms, three analyses are discussed and compared: (a) the view that such self -forms are bound by a minimal subject of consciousness within their discourse (Zribi-Hertz, 1989); (b) the view that the relevant forms exhibit essentially the same distribution as pronouns and that the choice between the two is motivated by discourse considerations (Reinhart & Reuland, 1993); and (c) the view that locally free self -forms are intensifiers without pronominal heads (Baker, 1995). It is shown that the third analysis is by far the most adequate one, and that both the distribution and the meaning of such expressions can be explained on the basis of this analysis if it is combined with a suitable semantic analysis of intensifiers.

Linguistic universals and language variation

The volume explores the relationship between linguistic universals and language variation. The contributions identify the recurrent patterns and principles behind the complex spectrum of observable variation. As a whole, the volume bridges the gap between cross-linguistic variation, regional variation, diachronic variation, contact-induced variation as well as socially conditioned variation. Fundamental methodological and theoretical issues of variation research are addressed.

Rethinking the relationship between SELF-intensifiers and reflexives

Abstract Recent studies into the syntax and semantics of intensifying self-forms (e.g. [John himself] came) have shown that a distinction needs to be drawn between two uses of such expressions: a juxtaposed or adnominal use (cf. above), and a nonjuxtaposed use (e.g. John [came himself]). This differentiation allows us to reconsider a number of issues relating to the synchronic and diachronic relationship between SELF-intensifiers and reflexive anaphors. Assessing relevant cross linguistic data against the background of the aforementioned distinction reveals a surprising fact: patterns of “formal relatedness” suggest a particularly strong empirical as well as conceptual tie-up between reflexives and SELF-intensifiers in their nonjuxtaposed rather than adnominal use. This is remarkable because it has generally been assumed that it is always the adnominal SELF-intensifier which gives rise to the development of reflexive markers. In the light of our cross linguistic findings, we explore the synchronic and diachronic relationship between reflexives and SELF-intensifiers in their nonjuxtaposed use. We argue that the picture of a (unidirectional) development from adnominal SELF-intensifiers to reflexives needs to be modified insofar as reflexive markers often develop from nonjuxtaposed, rather than adnominal, intensi.ers. Moreover, reflexive markers often form part of a strategy of SELF-intensification, which entails that the reflexives are older than the resulting intensifiers.

Mass versus count. Pronominal gender in regional varieties of Germanic languages

This article explores systems of pronominal gender, and partly also gender systems in general, across several regional varieties of Germanic languages, where the semantic basis underlying the distribution of animate (masculine, feminine) and inanimate neuter pronouns (gender) corresponds to the well known categorization of nomináis in mass versus count (the hammer he versus the milk it). Such systems are attested in regional varieties of English, Danish, Dutch, Frisian and German. It will be argued that the existence of such systems and their relationship to the systems of pronominal gender found in the standard varieties can be understood and explained against the background of the scale or hierarchy of individuation. A brief cross-linguistic survey complements the discussion of Germanic dialects.

The emergence of English reflexive verbs: an analysis based on the Oxford English Dictionary

Present-Day English is generally assumed to possess only a handful of lexicalized reflexive verbs ( absent oneself from , pride oneself on , etc.) and to use reflexive pronouns neither for the marking of motion middles nor the derivation of anticausative (decausative) verbs. Such middle uses of reflexive markers (non-argument reflexives) are widespread in other European languages. Based on corpus evidence, Geniusienė (1987), Peitsara (1997) and Siemund (2010) demonstrate that English reflexive pronouns do occur in these functions and offer extensive lists of the verbs involved. I here follow up the historical development of these verbs from Middle English to Present-Day English. My analysis is based on a survey of the relevant verb entries in the Oxford English Dictionary (222 verbs), complemented by an examination of the OED quotation base. My study shows that the number of reflexive verbs in English has gradually, but steadily, increased since the emergence of complex reflexives ( myself , yourself , etc.) in Middle English. They often result from lexicalization processes, but the data also show more regular patterns indicative of grammatical processes. The Oxford English Dictionary proves to be a rich and highly valuable data source for carrying out serious grammatical analyses.

Grammaticalization, lexicalization and intensification: English itself as a marker of middle situation types

Abstract The study discusses the use of reflexive pronouns as markers of middle situation types and questions the traditional generalization that only light or weak reflexives (e.g., German sich, Spanish se) appear as such markers. Based on an analysis of approximately 2000 examples drawn from the British National Corpus, it explores if and to what extent the English heavy reflexive itself can be found in such contexts. Moreover, it provides a typology of the middle situation types in which the form itself occurs and analyzes the processes that give rise to the use of itself in such contexts. While some incipient grammaticalization processes can be found, the study argues that self-intensification as well as various lexicalization processes need to be considered, too. It also provides an extensive quantitative analysis of the contexts in which itself occurs. The study concludes that morphologically complex or heavy reflexives can occur as markers of middle situation types, contrary to widely accepted accounts. Moreover, it argues that the traditional grammaticalization account given for the occurrence of reflexive pronouns as markers of middle situation types is too simplistic and needs to be revised.

The amazing world of Englishes : a practical introduction

This textbook invites you on a trip around the globe, uncovering layerby layer the complex, yet intriguing facets of English spoken world-wide. The busy streets of London, the scorched vistas of Australia, the colourful and noisy landscapes of New Delhi - English can be heard everywhere. But what are the specific features of these Englishes? What cultural and sociolinguistic realities underlie their use? This textbook brings this exciting and ever-changing world of Englishes right to your door!

From lexical to referential gender: An analysis of gender change in medieval English based on two historical documents

In this study we discuss the distribution of gender exponents in Old and early Middle English based on an analysis of two historical documents (Orosius, Peterborough Chronicle). The gender exponents investigated include demonstratives, adjectives, numerals and pronouns. We analyzed 179 noun phrases from the Orosius and 1,090 noun phrases from the Peterborough Chronicle. While the Orosius illustrates a highly consistent distribution of gender exponents, the Peterborough Chronicle contains substantial variation. As for the Peterborough Chronicle, we can demonstrate that the number of gender exponents that is used in conflict to the Old English gender system increases over time. In addition, we investigate the most important factors responsible for the observable variation focusing on the properties of the head nouns and their referents. Our results show that noun phrase internal and noun phrase external gender exponents behave differently. Moreover, formal properties of the head noun (structural and morphological case, number) are better predictors for gender variation than the properties of the referent (abstractness, degree of individuation).