The Interpretation of Object Shift and Optimality Theory

TY - CHAP

T1 - The Interpretation of Object Shift and Optimality Theory

AU - Vikner, Sten

PY - 2001

Y1 - 2001

N2 - Diesing (1996, 1997) observes that the interpretations of object-shifted objects and non-object-shifted objects in Icelandic object shift constructions differ along lines very similar to the interpretation differences between scrambled and non-scrambled objects in e.g. German.The present paper argues that Optimality Theory has certain advantages over e.g. Minimalism in accounting for such data. This is because the interpretational differences only hold of object shift constructions: In a construction where object shift is possible, a non-object-shifted object only has one interpretation (parallel to a German non-scrambled object), but in a construction where object shift is not possible, a non-object-shifted object is ambiguous (interpretable either like a German scrambled object or like a German non-scrambled object). In other words, what matters is not just whether the object has moved, but also whether it "could have moved" (i.e. it depends on how well those competing candidates are doing which contain object-shifted objects). In Optimality Theory, such a situation can be accounted for in terms of violable constraints, and the difference between object shift and scrambling can be derived from different rankings of the same constraints.

AB - Diesing (1996, 1997) observes that the interpretations of object-shifted objects and non-object-shifted objects in Icelandic object shift constructions differ along lines very similar to the interpretation differences between scrambled and non-scrambled objects in e.g. German.The present paper argues that Optimality Theory has certain advantages over e.g. Minimalism in accounting for such data. This is because the interpretational differences only hold of object shift constructions: In a construction where object shift is possible, a non-object-shifted object only has one interpretation (parallel to a German non-scrambled object), but in a construction where object shift is not possible, a non-object-shifted object is ambiguous (interpretable either like a German scrambled object or like a German non-scrambled object). In other words, what matters is not just whether the object has moved, but also whether it "could have moved" (i.e. it depends on how well those competing candidates are doing which contain object-shifted objects). In Optimality Theory, such a situation can be accounted for in terms of violable constraints, and the difference between object shift and scrambling can be derived from different rankings of the same constraints.

M3 - Book chapter

SN - 3110169452

T3 - Studies in Generative Grammar

SP - 321

EP - 340

BT - Competition in Syntax

A2 - Müller, Gereon

A2 - Sternefeld, Wolfgang

PB - De Gruyter Mouton

CY - Berlin

ER -