Danish in Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar - German ...

A topological model of the Danish clause
. V -clauses and V -clauses
As in German, three basic clause types can be distinguished in Danish. e three clause
types are defined according to the placement of the finite verb and the status of the first
position (the Prefield) as either filled or unfilled. e clause types roughly correspond
to an embedded clause (Type I), an unembedded declarative clause (Type II) and a polar
question (Type III), but these are only approximations. All clause types occur embedded
and unembedded and with different illocutionary forces as also shown in the examples
below (cf. also Hansen & Helto (: p. )).
• Type I: V -clause (the “embedded” clause): e finite verb is in the verbal field
following sentential adverbs such as the negation. e a.-example is embedded,
the b.-example is unembedded.
() a. fordi beviserne [ikke] [hang] sammen
because evidence. not hang together
‘because the evidence was not sufficient’
b. Bare Antonio [ikke] [misforstår] det.
if.only Antonio not misunderstands it
‘If only Antonio does not misunderstand it.’
• Type II: V -clause with a filled Prefield (an unembedded declarative clause):
e finite verb is outside the Verbal Field in a fronted position preceding sentential
adverbs such as the negation, and the Prefield is filled (V). Note that the finite verb
precedes the negation, while it follows the negation in Type I-clauses (example (a)
and (b)). e a.-example is an unembedded Type-II-clause, the b.-example is an
embedded Type-II-clause
() a. [Danmark] [er] [ikke] repræsenteret ved finalen i Wien.
Denmark is not represented at final. in Vienna
‘Denmark is not represented at the final in Vienna.’
Interestingly type I-clauses (with a complementizer) can also be the complement of another complementizer.
In example (i), the complementizer at (‘that’) takes as its complement a type I-clause introduced with
the complementizer mon (‘I wonder’) (Hansen & Helto : p. ). e complemenizer mon (‘I wonder’)
is further discussed in Section ... below.
(i)
Tænker blot på, [at] [mon ikke de også holder sommerferie]
think just of that MON not they also make summer.vacation
‘I was just thinking, I wonder if they are not also on summer vacation.’
(http://www.netdoktor.dk/interactive/discussion/viewtopic.php?f=&t=,[/ ].)
KorpusDK.
KorpusDK.
KorpusDK.
Dra of October , , :