ERIC Number: EJ845361
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0023-8309
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Probability in the Grammar of German and Dutch: Interfixation in Triconstituent Compounds
Krott, Andrea; Libben, Gary; Jarema, Gonia; Dressler, Wolfgang; Schreuder, Robert; Baayen, Harald
Language and Speech, v47 n1 p83-106 2004
This study addresses the possibility that interfixes in multiconstituent nominal compounds in German and Dutch are functional as markers of immediate constituent structure. We report a lexical statistical survey of interfixation in the lexicons of German and Dutch which shows that all interfixes of German and one interfix of Dutch are significantly more likely to appear at the major constituent boundary than expected under chance conditions. A series of experiments provides evidence that speakers of German and Dutch are sensitive to the probabilistic cues to constituent structure provided by the interfixes. Thus, our data provide evidence that probability is part and parcel of grammatical competence. (Contains 9 tables, 2 figures and 4 footnotes.)
Descriptors: Cues, Form Classes (Languages), Statistical Surveys, Probability, German, Grammar, Experiments, Indo European Languages, Stimuli, Validity, Morphemes
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A