scholarly journals Towards a source-oriented approach to typological universals

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 97-117
Author(s):  
Sonia Cristofaro
Keyword(s):  
Word Order ◽  
Developmental Mechanisms ◽  
Distributional Patterns ◽  
Oriented Approach

Typological universals are skewed distributional patterns whereby languages recurrently display certain grammatical patterns as opposed to others. Explanations for these patterns are usually based on their synchronic properties, not actual diachronic processes that shape the pattern cross-linguistically. The paper discusses diachronic evidence about the origins of some typological universals pertaining to word order and aspect/tense conditioned alignment splits. This evidence poses two general challenges for synchronically based explanations of typological universals. First, the relevant patterns do not obviously arise because of the principles postulated to account for these patterns on synchronic grounds. Second, the development of these patterns is a combined result of multiple diachronic processes. These facts point to a new, source-oriented approach to typological universals, one focusing on what source constructions and developmental mechanisms play a role in the shaping of individual patterns, rather than the synchronic properties of the pattern in itself.

Distribution and function of embedded V–Neg in Norwegian: A corpus study

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina Louise Ringstad
Keyword(s):  
Word Order ◽  
Relative Frequency ◽  
Main Clause ◽  
Natural Speech ◽  
Corpus Study ◽  
Data Support ◽  
Embedded Clauses ◽  
And Function ◽  
Oriented Approach ◽  
Selection Of

AbstractMainland Scandinavian displays a main clause phenomenon (MCP), where some embedded clauses allow the word order V(erb)–Neg(ation), in addition to the canonical Neg–V. Much has been written on the licensing conditions for embedded V–Neg, but formulating the exact conditions has proven difficult. This may be due to the fact that research has typically focussed on selected sets of clauses allowing this phenomenon and much of it has been based on the authors’ grammaticality judgements. Drawing conclusions about the licensing conditions for embedded V–Neg requires examining all types of environments that allow it in natural speech as well as the types of environments that disallow it. Therefore, the primary goal of this paper is to map out the full distribution of embedded V–Neg. This paper examines embedded V–Neg collected from five corpora of spontaneous Norwegian speech. The data provide information on the relative frequency of V–Neg in various constructions and identify hitherto unattested contexts for this word order. The paper shows that V–Neg is productive in adjunct clauses, a fact difficult to accommodate under accounts claiming it is licensed under selection of specific predicates. The data support a more discourse-oriented approach to embedded V–Neg.

Postnominal relative clauses in Chinese

Linguistics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 1501-1542
Author(s):  
Fang Wang ◽  
Fuyun Wu
Keyword(s):  
Word Order ◽  
Information Structure ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Relative Clauses ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Corpus Studies ◽  
Distributional Patterns ◽  
Chinese Dialects ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Aspect Markers

AbstractIn contrast to well-studied prenominal relative clauses (RCs) in Chinese, little has been known about postnominal RCs that are non-canonical but existent in spoken Chinese. Focusing on Standard Mandarin, this paper examines in a large-scale spoken corpus the distributional patterns of postnominal RCs. Using distribution patterns of prenominal RCs in existing corpus studies as benchmarks, we show that postnominal RCs in our spoken corpus of Standard Mandarin tend to modify sentential objects more frequently than sentential subjects, and that they are likely to be short, with extremely rare presence of aspect markers. Based on these patterns, we propose that postnominal RCs in Standard Mandarin are mostly afterthoughts, motivated by information structure of spoken languages and word order principles. To better understand their general coverage, we further investigate postnominal RCs in Chinese dialects using available resources, including Yue, Min, Xiang, and Wu, followed by a raw comparison of cross-dialectal similarities and differences. We conclude that postnominal RCs in Chinese are similarly motivated, but their degrees of grammaticalization vary.

Processing cost and its consequences

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
William O'Grady
Keyword(s):  
Word Order ◽  
Proximity Effects ◽  
Processing Cost

AbstractI focus on two challenges that processing-based theories of language must confront: the need to explain why language has the particular properties that it does, and the need to explain why processing pressures are manifested in the particular way that they are. I discuss these matters with reference to two illustrative phenomena: proximity effects in word order and a constraint on contraction.

Phrase-Learning in Deaf and Hearing Subjects

1967 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 600-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Penelope B. Odom ◽  
Richard L. Blanton
Keyword(s):  
Word Order ◽  
Fifth Graders ◽  
English Word ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Twelfth Graders ◽  
Memory Processes ◽  
Study Test ◽  
The Mean

Two groups each containing 24 deaf subjects were compared with 24 fifth graders and 24 twelfth graders with normal hearing on the learning of segments of written English. Eight subjects from each group learned phrasally defined segments such as “paid the tall lady,” eight more learned the same words in nonphrases having acceptable English word order such as “lady paid the tall,” and the remaining eight in each group learned the same words scrambled, “lady tall the paid.” The task consisted of 12 study-test trials. Analyses of the mean number of words recalled correctly and the probability of recalling the whole phrase correctly, given that one word of it was recalled, indicated that both ages of hearing subjects showed facilitation on the phrasally defined segments, interference on the scrambled segments. The deaf groups showed no differential recall as a function of phrasal structure. It was concluded that the deaf do not possess the same perceptual or memory processes with regard to English as do the hearing subjects.

Word Order

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae Jung Song
Keyword(s):  
Word Order

Definition and Assessment of Competences in the Context of the European Diploma in Psychology

2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave Bartram ◽  
Robert A. Roe
Keyword(s):  
Professional Competence ◽  
Professional Psychology ◽  
European Standard ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Training Course ◽  
And Training ◽  
Oriented Approach

Abstract. The European Diploma in Psychology defines a common European standard for the competences required to practice as a psychologist. This paper describes how that standard was developed and defined, and why it was considered important to bring together the traditional input-based specification of professional competence, in terms of curriculum and training course content, with a more outcome-oriented approach that focuses on the competences that a professional psychologist needs to demonstrate in practice. The paper addresses three specific questions. What are the competences that a psychologist should possess? Are these competences the same for all areas of practice within professional psychology? How can these competences be assessed?

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