Where is the precore slot? Mapping the layered structure of the clause and German sentence topology

Elke Diedrichsen | Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

The paper will account for the regularities of word order with German main declarative clauses by using the RRG framework. The question whether the so-called “Vorfeld” (“prefield”)-position can be equated with the RRG-notion of precore slot (PrCS) will be explored. It will be shown that operator scope with the different readings of modal verbs indicates that the position before the finite verb should be regarded as core-external position. Furthermore, a structural analysis will be introduced that reveals that certain peculiarities of German word order can be captured most extensively when a precore slot is included in the syntactic description. With such an analysis, a structural explanation of pragmatically motivated word order alternations can be given for “VP-topicalization” and “tun-periphrasis”.

Published online: 21 November 2008
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.105.16die

Cited by

Cited by 5 other publications

Bleaman, Isaac L.

2021. Predicate fronting in Yiddish and conditions on multiple copy Spell-Out. Natural Language & Linguistic Theory

Diederichsen, Elke

2015. In Causation, Permission, and Transfer [Studies in Language Companion Series, 167], ► pp. 53 ff.

Diedrichsen, Elke

2014. In Language Processing and Grammars [Studies in Language Companion Series, 150], ► pp. 105 ff.

Diedrichsen, Elke

2017. In Argument Realisation in Complex Predicates and Complex Events [Studies in Language Companion Series, 180], ► pp. 43 ff.

Hein, Johannes

2021. Verb movement and the lack of verb-doubling VP-topicalization in Germanic. The Journal of Comparative Germanic Linguistics 24:1 ► pp. 89 ff.

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 31 may 2021. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.