THUAN TRAN

Vietnamese wh-phrases and the syntax-semantics interface

A syntax-semantics analysis of quantificational variability of wh-phrases in Vietnamese from a cross-linguistic perspective

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Many theories have been proposed to account for the fact that wh- phrases across languages can obtain various quantificational interpretations depending on the syntactic contexts where they occur. For example, Nishigauchi (1990) and Cheng (1991) hypothesize that wh-phrases are variables, and their quantificational forces derive from the binders that bind them. Their theories, however, do not provide a plausible answer to the island effects in wh-questions in Vietnamese given that in their theory there is no need for LF movement. To account for the Vietnamese data, their theories need to be revised. Namely, wh-phrases in Vietnamese are ambiguous between a quantifier interpretation and a variable interpretation. Based on Kratzer and Shimoyama (2002) I provide a unified analysis of wh-phrases, according to which a wh-phrase is a set of individual alternatives bound and assigned an interpretation by an alternative set taking operator. Yet, unlike Kratzer and Shimoyama (2002), I propose that LF movement is still required for scope interpretation and the moved wh-phrase functions as a scope marking operator.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller
• Seitenzahl: 184
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 220mm x 150mm x 10mm
• Gewicht: 262g
• ISBN-13: 9783639226867
• ISBN-10: 3639226860
• Artikelnr.: 28235355

Autorenporträt

MA in Applied Linguistics, University of Massachusetts Boston 1998 Visiting Fellow, Harvard University 2000-2002 Ph.D. in Theoretical Linguistics, University of Delaware 2009 Lecturer, Department of Linguistics, University of California San Diego 2005-2008 Head, Department of Vietnamese Studies, Hue University, present.