LA Syntax for German

Abstract

The LA Grammar analysis of natural languages should not only provide a formal description of their syntactic structure, but also explain their communicative function. To advance a functional understanding of different kinds of natural language syntax within a strictly time-linear derivation order, the LA Syntax of a fixed word order isolating language (English, Chap. 17) will be complemented with the LA Syntax of a free word order inflectional language (German).

Exercises

Section 18.1

• 1. Explain the three steps and two phases of developing an LA Grammar for the syntactic description of a new language.

• 2. What is the structure of complex noun phrases in German and how does it differ from English?

• 3. Describe the agreement of German adjectives.

• 4. Which rule in LA D1 must be slightly generalized for the derivation of 18.1.4, and how?

• 5. Give derivations like those of 18.1.4 for the sentences der jungen Frau gefiel der schöne grüne Baum, die junge Frau gab dem kleinen Kind einen Apfel, dem kleinen Kind gab die junge Frau einen Apfel, and einen Apfel gab die junge Frau dem kleinen Kind. Explain why the time-linear derivation of complex nominal fillers in pre- and postverbal position can be handled by the same rules.

Section 18.2

• 1. Explain in what two respects traditional paradigms, e.g., of German noun phrases, are misleading from a syntactic point of view. Why are traditional paradigms not surface compositional?

• 2. Compare the abstract field of referents of German (18.2.2 and 18.2.4) and English (17.2.1). Explain their surface compositional motivation and relate them to traditional paradigms.

• 3. Because the genitive case is becoming obsolete in its function as a nominal filler/valency position, you may simplify 18.2.2 for the purposes of modern German. How many fields are there after eliminating the genitive?

• 4. Describe the agreement between nominal fillers and finite verbs in German.

• 5. Explain the handling of external and internal agreement of complex noun phrases in LA D2.

• 6. Provide a finite state backbone – analogous to 17.4.2 – for LA D2 using the transition numbers given in 18.2.5.

Section 18.3

• 1. What is the difference between a post-nominative and a verb-second word order? Give examples from English and German.

• 2. Do adverbials play a role in the word order specification of English or German?

• 3. What is the difference between contact and distance positions in complex verb constructions? Give examples from English and German.

• 4. Explain why the sentential bracket (Satzklammer) in German is in systematic conflict with the principles of constituent structure 8.4.3.

• 5. Is it possible to motivate distance position in terms of communicative function?

• 6. Compare the word order of subordinate clauses in English and German.

• 7. Why does the word order of auxiliary constructions in declarative main clauses and in subordinate clauses of German pose an apparent problem for the time-linear filling of valency positions?

Section 18.4

• 1. Describe the categorial structure of complex verb forms in German.

• 2. Explain the five categorial alternatives which arise from adding a finite auxiliary in declarative main clauses of German and describe how they are formalized in the rule +FV.

• 3. Explain the four categorial alternatives which arise from continuing after a finite auxiliary in declarative main clauses of German and describe how they are formalized in the +MAIN.

• 4. Describe the role of list agreement in the rule +NFV.

• 5. Why does the variable definition of LA D3 specify the variables NOM and NOM′ in addition to NP and NP′?

• 6. Provide a finite state backbone – analogous to 17.5.5 – for LA D3 using the transition numbers given in 18.4.8.

Section 18.5

• 1. Explain why German yes/no-interrogatives with auxiliaries are the maximal form of a sentential bracket.

• 2. Why is there a new rule ?+MAIN for the beginning of yes/no-interrogatives rather than handling its function by existing +MAIN?

• 3. Compare the categorial operations of ?+MAIN and +MAIN in 18.5.11.

• 4. Why is LA D4 a C1 LAG?

• 5. Determine the grammatical perplexity of LA D4. Does the use of rule clauses and subclauses affect the perplexity value?

• 6. Extend LA D4 to a handling of prepositional phrases in postnominal position as in der Apfel + auf dem Tisch, and in adverbial position as in Auf dem Tisch + lag. Take into account the semantic analysis of prepositional phrases presented in Section 12.5. Adapt the finite state backbone 18.5.12 to your extension.