On the Limits of On the Limits of Overview Focus Projection Focus Projection Focus to Accent Focus to Accent Restricted View of Restricted View of Focus Projection Focus Projection Extended Focus Extended Focus On the Limits of Focus Projection Projection Projection ◮ Introduction Discontinuous Discontinuous (Gussenhoven 1999) Focus Focus ◮ Restricted View of Focus Projection Sentence Focus Sentence Focus ◮ Obligatory Prenuclear Pitch Accents Focus Projection in Focus Projection in Complex Sentences Complex Sentences ◮ Extended Focus Projection ◮ The Restricted View: Discontinuous Focus ◮ Two Arguments for Extended Focus Projection Refuted Kordula De Kuthy ◮ “Restricted” Focus Projection in Complex Sentences HS Neuere Arbeiten zur Fokusprojektion WS 09/10 November 26, 2009 1 / 20 2 / 20 On the Limits of On the Limits of Focus to Accent Gussenhoven’s objections to Selkirk Focus Projection Focus Projection Focus to Accent Focus to Accent Restricted View of Restricted View of (1) What happened? Focus Projection Focus Projection What did you say is gone? Extended Focus Extended Focus Projection Projection ◮ Extended view of focus projection leads to the presence The BULB’s gone. Discontinuous Discontinuous Focus of old information inside the focus constituent. This Focus Sentence Focus Sentence Focus leads to too much machinery since both focus ◮ Radical Focus-To-Accent view: Focus Projection in Focus Projection in projection rules and interpretation rules are needed. ◮ Bolinger: there is no focus projection beyond the word Complex Sentences Complex Sentences the pitch accent is placed on. ◮ Restricted view of focus projection is conceptually ◮ Restricted focus projection: simpler. ◮ Schmerling / Fuchs / Gussenhoven / Ladd / Baart: ◮ Extended view of focus projection faces empirical arguments can project focus to adjacent predicates difficulties. ◮ Extended focus projection: ◮ Schmerling / Selkirk / Steedman: allows for focus to project upward to larger constituents and ultimately to the sentence 3 / 20 4 / 20
On the Limits of On the Limits of The Restricted View of Focus Projection The Restricted View of Focus Projection Focus Projection Focus Projection Focus to Accent Focus to Accent Restricted View of Restricted View of Focus Projection Focus Projection Extended Focus Extended Focus Projection Projection ◮ Deletion rules (focus projection rules): Sentence Accent Assignment Rule (SAAR): Discontinuous Discontinuous Focus Focus ◮ Deaccent every A, P , and M outside the focus ◮ Every focused argument (A), modifier (M), and Sentence Focus Sentence Focus cpnstituent. predicate (P) is accented, with the exception of a Focus Projection in Focus Projection in ◮ Deaccent a focused P that is adjacent – disregarding Complex Sentences Complex Sentences predicate that is adjacent to one of its arguments. any intervening nonfocused A or M – to an accented A. ◮ Accents are abstract placeholders, marking locations ◮ Prefocal pitch accents: that will be filled with a pitch accent if they survive the ◮ Assign pitch accents to the constituents before the actions of various deletion rules. nuclear pitch accent. (Optional) 5 / 20 6 / 20 On the Limits of On the Limits of Obligatory Prenuclear Pitch Accents Extended Focus Projection Focus Projection Focus Projection Focus to Accent Focus to Accent ◮ Gussenhoven disagrees with the belief that a full-focus Restricted View of Restricted View of version of a sentence is always equivalent to a narrow Focus Projection Focus Projection Focus Projection (Selkirk 1995) Extended Focus Extended Focus focus version with the focus on the last pitch accented Projection ◮ An accented word is F-marked Projection word. Discontinuous Discontinuous ◮ F-marking of the head of a phrase licenses F-marking Focus Focus ◮ Instead he suggests: Sentence Focus Sentence Focus of the phrase Focus Projection in Focus Projection in (2) a. What’s John tickling Mary with? ◮ F-marking of an internal argument of a head licenses Complex Sentences Complex Sentences John’s tickling Mary with a FEATHER. F-marking of the head b. What’s going on? Focus Interpretation Principles * John’s tickling Mary with a FEATHER. ◮ F-marked, but not A Focus: New c. What’s John tickling Mary with? ◮ Not F-marked (not a Focus): Given JOHN’s tickling MARY with a FEATHER. ◮ F-marked, and Focus: Given or New d. What’s going on? JOHN’s tickling MARY with a FEATHER. 7 / 20 8 / 20
On the Limits of On the Limits of Extended Focus Projection Extended Focus Projection Focus Projection Focus Projection Focus to Accent Focus to Accent Restricted View of Restricted View of Focus Projection Focus Projection Objection to Selkirks’s assumption that FOC should be a Other counterexamples: Extended Focus Extended Focus constituent: Projection Projection (4) What did she do? Discontinuous Discontinuous Focus Focus (3) What did she do with the book? [She [[SENT] F a book to Mary] F ] Foc . Sentence Focus Sentence Focus [She [[sent] F a book [to [MARY] F ] F ] F ] Foc . Focus Projection in Focus Projection in Complex Sentences Complex Sentences ◮ Gussenhoven claims that Selkirk’s theory suggests that Following to Selkirk, we get: the VP sent a book to Mary can be interpreted as new. ◮ Focus: She sent a book to Mary. But the context: “What did she do?” is inappropriate. ◮ New: sent a book to Mary, sent, to Mary, Mary ◮ Note that this is not quite correct: Selkirk’s theory ◮ Given: She, a book requires the NPs a book to Mary inside the VP to be given, since they are not F-marked. ◮ Given or New: She sent a book to Mary 9 / 20 10 / 20 On the Limits of On the Limits of Extended Focus Projection Problems for the Restricted View Focus Projection Focus Projection (6) What happened? Focus to Accent Focus to Accent Counterexamples (cont.) Restricted View of Restricted View of a. JOHNSON died. Focus Projection Focus Projection (5) What happened? b. MARY bought a book about bats. Extended Focus Extended Focus Projection Projection a. FOC [[[JOHNSON] F ] F [[t] F [died] F ] F ] FOC . Discontinuous Discontinuous ◮ For SAAR, (6a) is no problem, since focus projection Focus Focus b. MARY bought a book about bats. Sentence Focus Sentence Focus from an argument to a predicate can take place Focus Projection in Focus Projection in regardless of the argument’s role. Complex Sentences Complex Sentences ◮ Gussenhoven Selkirk’s theory does not explain why (b) ◮ But what prevents the subject in (6b) from passing on is not a possible reply to “What happened?” Why would focus to its predicate? (a) have a trace and not (b)? ◮ It seems to be case that the subject argument cannot ◮ But Selkirk assumes that only VP-internal subjects project focus to its predicate if some other constituent in leave a trace in the VP . VP-external subjects, such as the VP is realized ba a major-class item. subjects of transitive verbs like buy , do not leave a trace in the VP and thus cannot serve as an internal (7) Why is she here? argument from which F-marking can further project. a. Her HUSband beats her. b. * Her HUSband beats the poor soul. 11 / 20 12 / 20
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