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(The) polar bears are pink. How (the) Germans interpret (the) definite articles in plural subject DPs
The Journal of Comparative Germanic Linguistics ( IF 0.813 ) Pub Date : 2019-10-01 , DOI: 10.1007/s10828-019-09111-y
Anna Czypionka , Tanja Kupisch

According to the literature, German optionally allows a definite article with generic nominals, whereas other Germanic languages require a bare nominal (e.g., English Polar bears are white). This optionality makes German different from other Germanic languages and more similar to Romance languages, in which definite articles are obligatory with generic nominals in subject positions. Since article use with generic nominals is seen as indicative of an advanced stage of grammaticalization, the question arises whether German has moved towards a more Romance-like stage of definite article use. We present judgment and reaction time data on generic statements. We ran two experiments monitoring the preferred reading of German definites in a nonlinguistic context, i.e., pictures of items showing either prototypical characteristics (e.g., white polar bears) or nonprototypical characteristics (e.g., pink polar bears). Given this nonlinguistic context, participants judged the truth value of auditorily presented sentences with different articles (i.e., These/O/The polar bears are white/pink). Our results show that demonstratives are interpreted as definite and bare nominals as generic. Contrary to claims in the literature, the definite article is largely interpreted as specific, following the pattern described for other Germanic languages. However, reaction times for definite articles are significantly slower than for demonstratives and bare nominals. We interpret these findings as pointing toward an ongoing change in the semantics of definite articles.

中文翻译:

(The) 北极熊是粉红色的。(the) 德国人如何解释复数主语 DP 中的 (the) 定冠词

根据文献,德语可选地允许带有通用名词的定冠词,而其他日耳曼语言需要一个裸名词(例如,英语北极熊是白色的)。这种可选性使德语与其他日耳曼语言不同,更类似于罗曼语系语言,其中定冠词在主语位置必须带有通用名词。由于通用名词的冠词使用被视为语法化的高级阶段的标志,因此出现的问题是德语是否已经转向了更像浪漫主义的定冠词使用阶段。我们提供关于一般陈述的判断和反应时间数据。我们进行了两项实验,以监测在非语言环境中对德语定语的首选阅读,即显示任何原型特征的项目图片(例如,白色北极熊)或非典型特征(例如粉红色北极熊)。鉴于这种非语言背景,参与者判断听觉呈现的不同文章句子的真值(即这些/O/北极熊是白色/粉红色)。我们的结果表明,指示词被解释为明确的,而裸名词则被解释为泛型。与文献中的主张相反,定冠词在很大程度上被解释为特定的,遵循其他日耳曼语言描述的模式。然而,定冠词的反应时间明显慢于指示词和空名词。我们将这些发现解释为指向定冠词语义的持续变化。参与者用不同的文章(即这些/O/北极熊是白色/粉红色)来判断听觉呈现的句子的真值。我们的结果表明,指示词被解释为明确的,而裸名词则被解释为泛型。与文献中的主张相反,定冠词在很大程度上被解释为特定的,遵循其他日耳曼语言描述的模式。然而,定冠词的反应时间明显慢于指示词和空名词。我们将这些发现解释为指向定冠词语义的持续变化。参与者用不同的文章(即这些/O/北极熊是白色/粉红色)来判断听觉呈现的句子的真值。我们的结果表明,指示词被解释为明确的,而裸名词则被解释为泛型。与文献中的主张相反,定冠词在很大程度上被解释为特定的,遵循其他日耳曼语言描述的模式。然而,定冠词的反应时间明显慢于指示词和空名词。我们将这些发现解释为指向定冠词语义的持续变化。定冠词在很大程度上被解释为特定的,遵循为其他日耳曼语言描述的模式。然而,定冠词的反应时间明显慢于指示词和空名词。我们将这些发现解释为指向定冠词语义的持续变化。定冠词在很大程度上被解释为特定的,遵循为其他日耳曼语言描述的模式。然而,定冠词的反应时间明显慢于指示词和空名词。我们将这些发现解释为指向定冠词语义的持续变化。
更新日期:2019-10-01
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