The book explores the significant advancements in formal linguistics over the past fifty years, focusing specifically on research in Dutch syntax. It delves into the methodologies and findings that have shaped the understanding of language structure, making it a valuable resource for linguists and language enthusiasts interested in the evolution of syntactic theory in the Dutch language.
Grammar books serve as essential references for proper language usage, guiding readers on correct phrasing and preposition choices. However, they often remain underutilized, with many unaware of their potential to clarify grammatical structures. This book aims to bridge that gap, offering insights and practical advice to enhance understanding and application of grammar in everyday communication.
This study shows that Scandinavian object shift and so-called A-scrambling in the continental Germanic languages are the same, and aims at providing an account of the variation that we find with respect to this phenomenon by combining certain aspects of the Minimalist Program and Optimality Theory. More specifically, it is claimed that representations created by a simplified version of the computational system of human language CHL are evaluated in an optimality theoretic fashion by taking recourse to a very small set of output constraints.
This issue of Linguistics in Potsdam features papers from the workshop on Descriptive and Empirical Adequacy in Linguistics held in Berlin from December 17-19, 2005. The workshop aimed to unite scholars from various frameworks, particularly the Minimalist Program and Optimality Theory, to discuss descriptive and empirical adequacy. A key focus was whether these frameworks are incompatible and competing or complementary in certain respects. Five of the seven papers stem from presentations at the workshop, while Vieri Samek-Lodovici’s contribution, though not presented there, synthesizes his insights from the discussions. The paper by Eva Engels and Sten Vikner addresses Scandinavian object shift, a topic of significant interest in both minimalist and optimality theoretic syntax. This serves as a practical example supporting a recurring claim in this volume: that minimalist and OT analyses, even when seemingly at odds, can constructively inform one another, enhancing our understanding of syntactic phenomena.
Henk van Riemsdijk has long been known as one of Europe’s most important linguists. His seminal ideas have been influential in developing generative grammar in Europe and beyond. The importance of these contributions is matched only by his talent for organizing the field. As the initiator, co-founder, and chair of the GLOW society, he made the society the leading platform of European generative linguistics. He has also been editor of the series Studies in Generative Grammar since its foundation. As a teacher and supervisor, he has inspired generations of students in the Netherlands and abroad. On the occasion of his relocation from the Netherlands to Italy, his friends, students and colleagues celebrate Henk van Riemsdijk's work with this collection of essays on numerous topics of current theoretical interest.