The syntax and semantics of nominal modifiers in Spanish: interpretations, types and ordering facts

Fábregas, Antonio

doi:10.7557/1.6.2.4191

Cited by 3 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…PPS-superlatives could also have prenominal DegPs in some contexts, but this would be a derived position for them, and it would not involve the same consequences as in a minimizer superlative. Cinque (2010) and Fábregas (2017) defend that a prenominal superlative DegP precisely breaks the well-known ambiguity between comparative and absolute readings of superlatives in favour of the latter 21 . Very roughly, what this means is that (44a)with postnominal DegP-could have the two readings in (44b, c), while (41a) -with prenominal DegP-only could have the absolute one:…”

Section: The Prenominal Degpmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other side, we have seen that prenominal DegPs seem to be ungrammatical for other types of superlatives at first, although I have avoided to claim this as a generalization. In fact, Fábregas (2017) b. El más estricto reformatorio juvenil que existe the more strict reformatory juvenile that exist.3sg 'The strictest reformatory school that exists' c. En lo más alto de la más alta torre in the more high of the more high tower 'In the highest place of the highest tower'…”

Section: The Prenominal Degpmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The terminology is adapted. For the original formulation, seeBosque (1980: 112).9 Many authors have pointed out that the prenominal position for nominal modifiers restricts the number of possible readings (cf Bosque 1996Bosque , 2001Bosque & Picallo 1996;Cinque 2010;Fábregas 2017)…”

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confidence: 99%

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Scalar properties of negative polarity superlatives

Delgado

2020

Borealis

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Most theories agree that polarity sensitivity must be related to scalarity one way or another. Superlatives are a good example of this, since their “endpoint nature” allows for them to be in negative contexts with a quantitative interpretation. In this paper, I follow Fauconnier’s (1975a) work in distinguishing two different types of polarity-sensitive superlatives and I show how they manifest in Spanish. I argue that in this language the distinction is formally marked, what allows us to reach different conclusions from those of Fauconnier. On this line, I will defend that both types of polarity-sensitive superlatives have scalar properties of a very different nature. Thus, while for one the quantitative reading is pragmatically-driven, for the other it is semantically-driven.

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Section: The Prenominal Degpmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Prenominal Degpmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Scalar properties of negative polarity superlatives

Delgado

2020

Borealis

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“…For example, el cocinero malo "the bad chef" has a non-intersective interpretation post-nominally, not because the post-nominal position is ambiguous, but because we generally refer to chefs in their roles as chefs. In contrast, post-nominal ambiguity approaches allow for both interpretations post-nominally (i.e., non-intersective/intersective, non-restrictive/restrictive) (Cinque 2010;Fábregas 2017;Martín 2009), while attributing a special, marked status to the pre-nominal position. A syntax void of post-nominal ambiguity could not, for example, account for the possibility that all Elena's classes are boring in las clases aburridas de Elena "Elena's boring classes" (Fábregas 2017, p. 28).…”

Section: Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Old Grammars New (?) Scope: Adjective Placement in Native and Non-Native Spanish

2021

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Prior studies have examined the association between modifying adjective placement and interpretation in second language (L2) Spanish. These studies show evidence of convergence with native speaker’s intuitions, which is interpreted as restructuring of the underlying grammar. Two issues deserve further study: (i) there are debates on the nature of native speaker’s interpretations; (ii) previous results could be explained by a combination of explicit instruction and access to the first language (L1). The present study re-examines native and non-native intuitions on the interpretation of variable order adjectives in pre-nominal and post-nominal positions, and extends the domain of inquiry by asking if L2 learners have intuitions about the order of two-adjective sequences, which appear in mirror image order in English and Spanish (faded blue pants vs. pantalones azules desteñidos). Two-adjective sequences are rare in the input, not typically taught explicitly, and have a different word order that cannot be [partially] derived from the L1 subgrammar. Two groups of non-native speakers (n = 50) and native speaker controls (n = 15) participated in the study. Participants completed a preference task, testing the interaction between word order and restrictive/non-restrictive interpretation, and an acceptability judgement task, testing ordering intuitions for two-adjective sequences. Results of the preference task show that the majority of speakers, both native and non-native, prefer variable adjectives in a post-nominal position independent of interpretation. Results of the acceptability judgement task indicate that both native and non-native speakers prefer mirror image order. We conclude that these results support underlying grammar reanalysis in L2 speakers and indicate that the semantic distribution of variable adjectives is not fully complementary; rather, the post-nominal position is unmarked, and generally preferred by both native and non-native speakers.

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“…Authors such as Demonte (1999) describes a smaller subset of ordering restrictions. Sánchez (1996Sánchez ( , 2017 goes a step further by proposing that, in Spanish, adjectives are not directly merged inside the nominal projection, but introduced as modifiers inside covert predicate structures (as predicates phrases or reduced relatives; see also Fábregas 2017). A consequence of this mode of derivation is greater flexibility in word order.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restrictions on ordering of adjectives in Spanish

Pérez‐Leroux

Tough²,

Pettibone

et al. 2020

Borealis

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Abstract. Sequences of multiple modifying adjectives are subject to poorly understood lexical ordering restrictions. There are certain commonalities to these restrictions across languages, as well as substantive language variation. Ordering restrictions in Spanish are still under empirical debate, with some proposing strict ordering for direct modifier adjectives; others proposing broad ordering restrictions based on the contrast between intersective and non-intersective adjectives, and yet others raising the possibility that adjectival order is fully unrestricted. The goal of the present study is to examine corpus evidence for adjectival sequences. We look at both sequences of two postnominal adjectives (Noun +Adjective + Adjective, NAA sequences) as well as sequences of one prenominal, and one postnominal adjective (Adjective + Noun +Adjective, ANA sequences). The results from the NAA datasets clearly categorically confirms that relational adjectives are structurally closer to the noun. There is some evidence for an ordering bias along the line of the intersectivity hypothesis, but little else in term of hard evidence for restrictions. Additional ordering constraints appear once we incorporate the ANA datasets into the empirical picture. One interpretation is that these restrictions can be subsumed under an approach where evaluative adjectives have to occupy the prenominal restriction. In sum, the evidence is most compatible with the middle ground approach, but not with a fully articulated set of ordering restrictions.

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The syntax and semantics of nominal modifiers in Spanish: interpretations, types and ordering facts

Cited by 3 publications

References 44 publications

Scalar properties of negative polarity superlatives

Scalar properties of negative polarity superlatives

Old Grammars New (?) Scope: Adjective Placement in Native and Non-Native Spanish

Restrictions on ordering of adjectives in Spanish

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