Derivation of clause-embedding predicates

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Barbara Stiebels
• Subject Area: General and Comparative Linguistics, Experimental Linguistics, Typology, Non-European Languages
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 439622645

The project deals with the impact of morphological derivation on the clausal selection profile of clause-embedding predicates (CEPs). Previous research on word formation rarely considered CEPs as bases for derivation, and if so, the effects on the clausal selection profile were not taken into account. In the case of category-changing derivation such as nominalization (behaupten ‘claim’ -> Behaupt-ung ‘claim’) and adjectivization (denken ‘think’ -> denk-bar ‘thinkable’), the question arises as to what extent differences between base and target category lead to changes in the clausal selection profile. Which selectional properties are preserved, which are blocked? Is there a qualitative difference to the effects of category-preserving derivation (e.g. in the formation of prefix and particle verbs; denken ‘think’ -> nach-denken ‘be thinking about’, be-denken ‘consider’)? In many cases, the latter results in a stronger semantic modification of the CEP, which may lead to stronger effects, especially in the case of meaning-dependent clausal selection properties. The clausal selection properties to be considered in the project include clause type, verb mood (e.g. subjunctive), control properties/raising in infinitive complements, NEG-raising and semantic entailments. The research focus will lie on the effects of nominalization, adjectivization and verb-verb derivation on the clausal selection pattern of CEPs. In continuation of the research from the first funding period on optimal matches between CEPs and their clausal complements, the project will also deal with the question to what extent the optimization strategies that were identified for the interpretation of polysemous or vague SEPs (e.g. role of the verb mood in Spanish sentir: 'regret' in the subjunctive/'feel' in the indicative) are preserved or modified in the derivation. Finally, a further aspect of the study is the question of the interpretation of complex synthetic compounds with CEPs as heads (e.g. Organ-spende-bereitschaft ‘willingness to donate an organ’). In these maximally reduced structures, which hardly allow any optimization, the role of the semantic relation of CEP (willingness) and dependent predicate (donation) for the interpretation of the complex structure becomes particularly clear.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• Subproject of: FOR 5175: Cyclic Optimization