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Identifier

000451276

Title

Topics in the syntax-semantics of greek particles

Alternative Title

Ζητήματα σύνταξης-σημασιολογίας στα ελληνικά μόρια

Author

Μπαρούνη, Μαρία

Thesis advisor

Αναγνωστοπούλου Έλενα

Reviewer

Lechner Winfried
Κάππα Ιωάννα

Abstract

In the first five chapters of the thesis I argue that there is no semantic distinction between strict and non-strict Negative Concord Languages (NCLs). I claim that what distinguishes the two groups of NCLs is a formal feature that is introduced either by negative markers or negative words. I provide new evidence from Greek which challenges the idea that Greek is a run-of-the-mill strict Negative Concord language posing a challenge for a theory of Negative Concord. The proposed syntactic analysis shares the basic idea of Zeijlstra (2004) that Negative Concord is multiple syntactic agreement between an element with interpretable features and multiple elements with uninterpretable features.However, it deviates from it in crucial assumptions, as it is argued that there is no semantic distinction between the semantic properties of n-words and NMs,hence between strict and non-strict Negative Concord languages in general. In addition, it is shown that if the view that feature checking is distinguished from feature valuation (Pesetsky & Torrego, 2007) is adopted, then NC phenomenon can be accounted for on the basis that languages are distinguished with respect to a formal feature. The last two chapters of the thesis focus on the semantics of ambiguous particles already introduced in the discussion of NC. The discussion then extends to epistemic and concessive particles, as well as to absolute superlatives. Apparently unrelated particles (i.e. epistemic, concessive and superlatives) are linked due to a homophonous particle with distinct semantic interpretation, different syntactic distribution and prosodic pattern. The core question behind this classification is whether there is a link behind unrelated interpretations of the same particle. Although a definitive answer is not provided in all cases, an insight in their use, syntactic and semantic properties is attempted. What is concluded from the above-mentioned topics is that any theory needs to be flexible enough, so as to be able to account for the properties of elements with hybrid properties at a syntactic and semantic level.

Language

English

Subject

Άρνηση

Αρνητική συμφωνία

Κύκλος Jespersen

Παραθετικά

Στοιχεία εστίασης

Issue date

2018-07-16

Collection

School/Department--School of Philosophy--Department of Philology--Doctoral theses