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The syntax-prosody interface in LFG: Revisiting Korean question focus

Year: 2024

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: This paper sets out two challenges to LFG analyses of the syntax-prosody interface---one general, one specific---arising from experimental evidence that shows considerable hearer variation in the interpretation of specific prosodic patterns in Korean that are canonically associated with the scope of question focus. We assume that this arises from a lexical preference for the question word reading of content pro-forms that are ambiguous between question words and indefinite pronouns, which has an effect on how pitch contours are perceived. A revised formal treatment of the phenomenon, building on Jones(2016) is presented, which robustly handles the variation in hearer perception and links to ongoing work to model hearers' decision-making process.

Source: University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology)

DOI: 10.25405/ncl.34519704

Authors: S Jones, Y Kim, Cong Zhang

Institution: Newcastle University

Language: English

Topic: Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation

Subfield: Language and Linguistics

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W7071689825

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