Generative approaches to Germanic languages
Stefan Müller
January 2025
 

This paper is about the analysis of Germanic languages in Generative Grammar. I take the broad view on Generative Grammar that includes theories like LFG, GPSG, and HPSG. I use a reduced and simplified form of HPSG for the exposition: simple X'-like constituent trees augmented with some valence information. This overview article focuses on phenomena for which there is a consensus among theories. For example, the analysis of the verb position and V2 in Germanic is rather uncontroversial: it is assumed that the finite verb moves to initial position and that one consitutent is placed before this verb. The paper lays out general assumptions and accounts for basic constituent order of SVO and SOV languages (SVO = Danish, English, Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish; SOV = Afrikaans, Dutch, Frisian, German and dialects or languages like Swiss German and Luxembourgish). Phenomena like scrambling, verbal complex formation, and passive and case assignment are discussed. I use examples from Danish, English, and German, but the solutions work for all Germanic languages. Approaches to scrambling and fronting differ with respect to the position into which constituents are moved. So-called Cartographic approaches assume Topic or Focus phrases, that is, information structural notions are introduced into syntax. I briefly comment on and reject these approaches.
Format: [ pdf ]
Reference: lingbuzz/008757
(please use that when you cite this article)
Published in: To appear in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Germanic Linguistics, Oxford University Press
keywords: syntax, germanic, generative grammar, hpsg, government & binding, syntax
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