Scandinavian pancake sentences as semantic agreement

Hans‐Olav Enger

87 citations0/0 files storedNordic Journal of Linguistics

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Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation Linguistic Variation and Morphology Categorization, perception, and language

Abstract

This paper deals with Scandinavian sentences where the predicative adjective apparently disagrees with its subject, such as pannekaker er godt ‘pancakes-pl. is good-neut.sg.’, vodka er sunt ‘vodka-masc. is healthy-neut.sg.’. In this paper, the use of neuter in such sentences is seen as a case of semantic agreement. Thereby, pancake sentences comply with Corbett's (1979) agreement hierarchy. The controllers in pancake sentences are low on the individuation scale. This is the reason why they are neuters. The controllers in pancake sentences are mirror-images of the controllers in more well-known examples of semantic agreement. Not only morphosyntax but also semantics, pragmatics and discourse play a role in agreement.

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2017The syntax of semantic agreement in English 2009Reinventing Pronoun Gender 2006Pronominal Gender in Spoken Dutch 2013Scandinavian pancake sentences revisited 2016The location of gender features in the syntax 2009The role of core and non-core semantic rules in gender assignment 2009Peas and pancakes: On apparent disagreement and (null) light verbs in Swedish 2012Optional expletive subjects in Swedish

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