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A nominal shell analysis of restrictive relative clause constructions in Afrikaans
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2016
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2016
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Oosthuizen, Johan Meyer, Jean-Jacques |
| author2 | Huddlestone, Kate |
| author_browse | Huddlestone, Kate Meyer, Jean-Jacques Oosthuizen, Johan |
| author_facet | Huddlestone, Kate Oosthuizen, Johan Meyer, Jean-Jacques |
| author_sort | Oosthuizen, Johan |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2016 |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/98837 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:57.159Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publishDateRange | 2016 |
| publishDateSort | 2016 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/98837 A nominal shell analysis of restrictive relative clause constructions in Afrikaans Oosthuizen, Johan Meyer, Jean-Jacques Huddlestone, Kate Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of General Linguistics. Nominals Pronoun Reflexive Grammar, comparative and general -- Relative clauses Grammar, comparative and general -- Noun phrase Minimalist theory (linguistics) Afrikaans language -- Grammar UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2016 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study focuses on restrictive relative clauses in Afrikaans, an area that is largely underresearched in the literature on Afrikaans grammar. The primary aim of the study is to examine whether the general assumptions and devices of Oosthuizen’s (2013) Nominal Shell Analysis of reflexive constructions in Afrikaans, which was developed within the broad theoretical framework of Minimalist Syntax, can be extended to provide an account of restrictive relative clause constructions. The main consideration for taking the ideas underlying Oosthuizen’s analysis as point of departure concerns the fact that an obligatory reflexive construction and a restrictive relative clause construction both contain a pronominal element that is referentially dependent on some other expression in the sentence. That is, both a reflexive pronoun and a relative pronoun have to enter into a coreferential relationship with an antecedent expression. In light of this common characteristic, the question arises whether the general ideas and devices of the Nominal Shell account of this relationship in reflexive constructions can also be used to account for the coreferential relationship between a relative pronoun and its antecedent in restrictive relative clause constructions. In terms of the proposed analysis, the relative pronoun and its antecedent are initially merged into a nominal shell structure headed by a contrastive-focus light noun n, a functional category belonging to a natural class of identificational elements that also includes an identity-focus n, a possessor-focus n, a quantity-focus n, and a presentational-focus n (Oosthuizen 2013:126-144). More specifically: the contrastive-focus n selects a relative pronoun as its complement, with the latter carrying a set of unvalued φ-features (person, number, gender). The antecedent expression, in turn, is merged into the specifier position of the light noun. These operations result in a probe-goal configuration in which the antecedent can value the φ-features of the relative pronoun, with the n serving as mediator. In this configuration, the φ-valued relative pronoun is semantically interpreted as an anaphor and the nominal expression in the specifier position of the nP as its antecedent; that is, the pronoun is interpreted as obligatorily coreferential with this nominal expression. The main finding of the study is that the approach just outlined can provide an adequate account of the relevant facts of restrictive relative clause constructions in Afrikaans, without requiring any theoretical assumptions and devices that are either completely new or incompatible with those provided within the broad minimalist framework. AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie fokus op restriktiewe relatiefsin-konstruksies in Afrikaans, ’n area waaroor daar nog weinig navorsing gedoen is in die literatuur oor Afrikaanse grammatika. Die hoofoogmerk van die studie is om te bepaal of die algemene aannames en meganismes van Oosthuizen (2013) se Nominale Skulp-analise van refleksief-konstruksies in Afrikaans, wat ontwikkel is binne die breë raamwerk van Minimalistiese Sintaksis, uitgebrei kan word om ’n verklaring te bied van restriktiewe relatiefsin-konstruksies. Die hoofoorweging op grond waarvan die idees onderliggend aan Oosthuizen se analise as vertrekpunt geneem word, betref die feit dat ’n verplig-refleksiewe konstruksie en ’n restriktiewe relatiefsin-konstruksie beide ’n pronominale element bevat wat referensieel afhanklik is van ’n ander uitdrukking in die sin. Met ander woorde, beide ’n refleksiewe voornaamwoord en ’n relatiewe voornaamwoord moet in ’n koreferensiële verhouding tree met ’n uitdrukking wat dien as antesedent. In die lig van hierdie gemeenskaplike eienskap, ontstaan die vraag of die algemene idees en meganismes onderliggend aan die Nominale Skulp-verklaring van hierdie verhouding in refleksief-konstruksies ook gebruik kan word om ’n verklaring te bied van die koreferensiële verhouding tussen ’n relatiewe voornaamwoord en sy antesedent in restriktiewe relatiefsin-konstruksies. In terme van die voorgestelde analise, word die relatiewe voornaamwoord en sy antesedent aanvanklik saamgevoeg in ’n nominale skulpstruktuur met ’n kontrasfokus-ligte naamwoord n as hoof, ’n funksionele kategorie wat behoort tot ’n natuurlike klas wat ook ’n identiteitsfokus-n, ’n besittersfokus-n, ’n kwantiteitsfokus-n, en ’n presentasiefokus-n insluit (Oosthuizen 2013:126-144). Meer spesifiek: die kontrasfokus-n selekteer ’n relatiewe voornaamwoord as sy komplement, met laasgenoemde wat oor ’n stel ongewaardeerde φ-kenmerke (persoon, getal, geslag) beskik. Daarteenoor word die antesedent saamgevoeg in die ligte naamwoord se spesifiseerderposisie. Hierdie bewerkings bring ’n soeker-teiken-konfigurasie tot stand waarin die antesedent die φ-kenmerke van die relatiewe voornaamwoord van waardes kan voorsien, met die ligte naamwoord wat optree as tussenganger. In hierdie konfigurasie word die φ-gewaardeerde relatiewe voornaamwoord geïnterpreteer as ’n anafoor en die nominale uitdrukking in die nP se spesifiseerderposisie as sy antesedent; met ander woorde, die voornaamwoord word geïnterpreteer as verplig koreferensieel met hierdie nominale uitdrukking. Die hoofbevinding van die studie is dat die benadering soos pas geskets ’n toereikende verklaring kan bied van die betrokke feite van restriktiewe relatiefsin-konstruksies in Afrikaans, sonder die noodsaak van enige teoretiese aannames en meganismes wat óf volledig nuut óf onversoenbaar is met dié wat beskikbaar is binne die breë minimalistiese raamwerk. Masters 2016-03-09T15:07:57Z 2016-03-09T15:07:57Z 2016-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/98837 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 85 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Nominals Pronoun Reflexive Grammar, comparative and general -- Relative clauses Grammar, comparative and general -- Noun phrase Minimalist theory (linguistics) Afrikaans language -- Grammar UCTD Oosthuizen, Johan Meyer, Jean-Jacques A nominal shell analysis of restrictive relative clause constructions in Afrikaans |
| title | A nominal shell analysis of restrictive relative clause constructions in Afrikaans |
| title_full | A nominal shell analysis of restrictive relative clause constructions in Afrikaans |
| title_fullStr | A nominal shell analysis of restrictive relative clause constructions in Afrikaans |
| title_full_unstemmed | A nominal shell analysis of restrictive relative clause constructions in Afrikaans |
| title_short | A nominal shell analysis of restrictive relative clause constructions in Afrikaans |
| title_sort | nominal shell analysis of restrictive relative clause constructions in afrikaans |
| topic | Nominals Pronoun Reflexive Grammar, comparative and general -- Relative clauses Grammar, comparative and general -- Noun phrase Minimalist theory (linguistics) Afrikaans language -- Grammar UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/98837 |
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