Conference: Comparative Germanic Syntax and the Icelandic Challenge

  
Comparative Germanic Syntax and the Challenge from Icelandic

A workshop at the 33rd Meeting of the German Linguistic Society (DGfS)
February 23-25, 2011 - University of Göttingen

Organizers:
Thórhallur Eythórsson
Hans-Martin Gärtner

Invited Speakers:
Ásgrímur Angantýsson (Reykjavík)
Nicole Dehé (Konstanz)

Research on comparative Germanic syntax has for a long time been
stimulated by the challenge of Icelandic, a language singled out by a
great number of 'peculiar' phenomena not attested (to such a degree)
elsewhere (Maling & Zaenen 1990; Thráinsson 1994; 2007). The aim of
our workshop is to bring together researchers more narrowly concerned
with the proper analysis of Icelandic with researchers interested in
comparative Germanic syntax who would like to test and broaden their
views in light of the 'Icelandic challenge.' We particularly welcome
attempts at bringing in evidence from the interfaces of syntax with
morphophonology and prosody as well as semantics/pragmatics. Given the
long and virtually uninterrupted literary documentation of Icelandic,
this language is an ideal testing ground for theories of language
change. Therefore, we also encourage contributions from historical
linguistics.

Date: 24-Feb-2011 - 25-Feb-2011

Location: University of Göttingen, Germany

Contact Person: Hans-Martin Gärtner

Meeting Email: gaertner@zas.gwz-berlin.de

Linguistic Fields: Historical Linguistics; Phonology; Semantics; Syntax

Language Family: Germanic

Call for Papers

Call Deadline: 01-Sep-2010

Topics to be addressed at the workshop include (but are not limited to):
I) Grammatical function to Case linking, the status of 'quirky'
patterns (DAT-NOM, ACC-ACC) and its impact on agreement, diatheses,
infinitival structures, and subject reflexives.
II) Transitive expletive constructions (TECs), object-shift, and their
relation to clause structural issues such as adverb placement, verb
positioning, interpretational issues such as definiteness, scope of
negation and negative quantifiers, as well as prosodic issues such as
phrasing.
III) Grammatical vs. interpretational constraints on long- and
medium-distance reflexives such as grammatical function of antecedents
and logophoricity.
IV) Clause combining and the status of markers such as (dependent) V2
and verbal mood.
V) 'Stylistic fronting' and the interplay of central and peripheral
components of the grammar.
VI) Hitherto lesser studied items such as absence of Icelandic
VP-topicalization and lack of indefinite articles, the structure and
interpretation of DP, as well as expression of tense and aspect.

References:
Maling, J. & A. Zaenen (eds.). 1990. Modern Icelandic Syntax. New
York: Academic Press.
Thráinsson, H. 1994. 'Icelandic.' Pp. 142-189 in The Germanic
Languages, ed. by E. König & J. van der Auwera. London: Routledge.
Thráinsson, H. 2007. The Syntax of Icelandic. Cambridge: CUP.

Abstract Submissions:
Abstracts are invited for 30-minute talks (20 minute presentations
plus 10 minutes for discussion). Abstracts should be confined to one
page (including examples and references) with 1-inch margins and
12-point font.

All abstracts should be sent in pdf-format by e-mail (header:
abstract; body: title, author(s) name(s), author(s) addresse(s) to:
gaertner@zas.gwz-berlin.de

Important Dates:
Submission Deadline: September 1, 2010
Notification: September 13, 2010
DGfS Meeting: February 23-25 2011

Also you can take a look at the conference by visiting
http://linguistlist.org/issues/21/21-2771.html