• Map-Legend:
  • B-(Y)-S-(X1-X2)-V
  • S-B-(Y)-(X1-X2)-V
  • B-(Y)-S-V-(X1-X2)
  • S-B-(Y)-V-(X1-X2)
  • Mixed Data
  • No Data
LanguageQuestionSubquestionColorParameterValuePreference
Amharic20bB-(Y)-S-(X1-X2)-V1
Czech20bB-(Y)-S-V-(X1-X2)1NA
Gagauz20bS-B-(Y)-(X1-X2)-V0.5
Gagauz20bB-(Y)-S-V-(X1-X2)1
Gagauz20bS-B-(Y)-V-(X1-X2)1
Mongolian20bB-(Y)-S-(X1-X2)-V1NA
Mongolian20bS-B-(Y)-(X1-X2)-V1NA
Polish20bB-(Y)-S-V-(X1-X2)1
Polish20bS-B-(Y)-V-(X1-X2)0.5
Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian20bB-(Y)-S-V-(X1-X2)1
Upper Sorbian20bB-(Y)-S-(X1-X2)-V1NA

(20) Can a subconstituent of an NP be discontinuous from the head of the NP?

b) displaced part of NP is contrastive topic, displacement to the left

Prompt: Did the professor buy [a magazine about cats] yesterday?

I do not know, but…

*…about birds (yesterday) the professor [a book __] bought. (B-(Y)-S-(obj X1-X2)-V)

*…the professor (yesterday) about birds [a book __] bought. (S-B-(Y)-(obj X1-X2)-V)

?*…about birds (yesterday) the professor bought [a book __]. (B-(Y)-S-V-(obj X1-X2))

*…the professor (yesterday) about birds bought [a book __]. (S-B-(Y)-V-(obj X1-X2))

German

Das weiß ich nicht, aber über Vögel hat der Professor [ein Buch __] gekauft.

that know I not but about birds has the professor a book bought

'That I do not know but the professor bought a book about birds.'

Explanation: Please check for the displacement of adpositional phrases and NPs with peripheral cases (e.g., locative). Make sure that the adpositional phrase cannot be (mis-)interpreted as an adjunct of V (as it could be in the woman wrote (a book) about plants).

Alternative examples that could be used:

the child found [a letter from his grandfather]

the king resented [a question about the lost war]