Peter Hallman
Biographic Data
| ID | 819956 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Peter Hallman |
| GIVEN NAMES | Peter |
| FAMILY NAME | Hallman |
| SIGNATURE | HALLMAN P |
| AFFILIATIONS | Austrian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-8144-0416 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 22 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 21 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1997 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2024 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Argument structure hierarchies and alternations in causative and double object constructions
Many varieties of Arabic display a causative construction that adds a causer to the argument structure of the underlying verb. When this verb is transitive, the causative derivative is ditransitive. In the Arabic varieties, these ditransitive causative verbs display a double object alternation fully parallel to the alternation that change of possession verbs like give display. I claim that two current analyses of the double object alternation do …
Superlative displacement in 'sandwich' scenarios
Comparative constructions in Syrian Arabic
In this article, I describe the internal structure, surface distribution, and scope possibilities for comparative phrases in Syrian Arabic. Comparative phrases may show surface displacement from their scalar associate in this language, subject to certain restrictions. The restrictions on surface displacement match those on scope construal, suggesting that scope construal involves covert displacement. Further, the restrictions on displacement are …
Pronominalization and clitic doubling in Syrian and Omani Arabic
This article treats cliticization of a pronoun to a syntactic host and doubling of the clitic pronoun with a non-pronominal counterpart in Syrian and Omani Arabic. Although the two varieties are closely related and the morphological paradigms they display are very similar, the pronominalization and clitic pronoun doubling patterns they display are quite different. We trace this difference to a basic difference in whether the relevant syntactic pr…
Scope splitting in Syrian Arabic
Conditions sur la définitude dans les superlatifs arabes
Cet article apporte des preuves sur la relation entre la définition morphologique et sémantique des superlatifs en arabe syrien. Les superlatifs en arabe syrien sont morphologiquement définis lorsque l’adjectif superlatif se trouve dans sa position post-nominale canonique, mais morphologiquement indéfinis lorsque l’adjectif superlatif se trouve dans une position périphérique gauche dérivée dans le DP, là où le morphème superlatif a généralement u…
Numeral differential constructions in Arabic
In sentences like Mary found three shells more than Joan did , three appears to syntactically modify the object noun shells yet is interpreted as a specification of the difference between the number of shells that Mary found and the number that Joan found. Accordingly, syntactic and semantic analyses of such cases cast the numeral as a modifier of more in the transformational base for this construction. In this paper, I present evidence from Arab…
Head and Dependent Marking in Clausal Possession
This article presents a new perspective on the derivational source for transitive verbs of possession. These are commonly postulated to be derived from a preposition expressing possession by incorporation of the preposition into an auxiliary. I reframe the contrast between prepositional and verbal expression of possession as an opposition between dependent and head marking of the possession relation, implemented syntactically as marking of either…
On the interrogative terms ʔaddēʃ and kam in Syrian Arabic
This paper compares two interrogative terms— ʔaddēʃ and kam —in Syrian Arabic. Both of these form questions about quantity. I argue, though, that ʔaddēʃ and kam are fundamentally different both syntactically and semantically. ʔaddēʃ can be separated from the term that contributes the scale it asks about, which is typical of degree operators in Syrian Arabic. Various scales are compatible with ʔaddēʃ . This makes ʔaddēʃ similar to English how as i…
Double-Object Constructions in Syrian Arabic
This article documents double-object constructions in contemporary Syrian Arabic and presents an analysis of the case-frame alternations found there. Some double-object verbs assign accusative case to their indirect object, as in English, while others assign it dative, as in German. Yet, for both verb types, the double-object frame productively alternates with a frame in which the indirect object occurs in a prepositional phrase. Consequently, da…
The Universal Perfect in Syrian Arabic
This paper describes a construction in contemporary Syrian Arabic that matches the semantic features of the ‘universal perfect’ in English. The construction is based on a stative predicate and a duration adverbial and says that the state has held for the specified duration. The primary identifying morphological characteristic of the construction is the fact that the subject is doubled by a dative pronoun. The dative pronoun may surface as an encl…
Superlatives in Syrian Arabic
This paper describes superlative constructions in contemporary Syrian (Levantine) Arabic. These have the revealing property that the superlative morpheme may be linearly separated from the term that provides the degree scale it makes reference to. This displacement is syntactically constrained, lending support to theories that postulated movement in the derivation of superlative constructions. The data reported here also document a tight correlat…
The Arabic Imperfective
This paper argues that the imperfective verb form in Standard Arabic does not express an ‘imperfective’ meaning, but rather marks the default lexical form of the verb, and is therefore analogous to the English infinitive. The progressive and habitual readings cross-linguistically typical of the imperfective are derived in Arabic by applying covert progressive and habitual operators to this infinitival base. This hypothesis is supported by the fac…
Syntactic Neutralization in Double Object Constructions
This article synthesizes the ''alternative projection'' view of the alternation between the DP + DP and DP + PP complement frames of English double object verbs, according to which the alternants are basegenerated as such, with a transformational account that claims that the DP + PP frame may be derived from the DP + DP frame. For some verbs allowing multiple complements, the DP + PP frame is syntactically ambiguous between a base-generated locat…
Predication and movement in passive
Introduction to the Special Issue
Verbal Complexes in Lebanese Arabic
This study examines a particular type of optionality in subject placement in Lebanese Arabic that indicates that that language allows restructuring, or derived clause union, mediated by formation of a verbal complex, in which a non-finite subordinate verb raises and adjoins to the finite matrix verb. In addition to the word order VSVX in control constructions, Lebanese Arabic also admits the order VVSX. This study considers rightward subject move…
Proportions in time
Symmetry in Structure Building
This paper defends three interconnected claims: (a) selection is the only licensing procedure available to UG, specifically, checking is an instance of selection; (b) selection obtains in the mutual c-command configuration; and (c) though a head does not mutually c-command its own specifier, it mutually c-commands the specifier of its complement. A head may therefore license the specifier of its complement (as well as its complement) but not its …
NP-Interpretation and the Structure of Predicates
Two classes of intensional transitive verbs affect the interpretation of an indefinite object in the same way that stage- and individual-level predicates affect an indefinite subject. The contrast for objects is instantiated inside the scope of intensionality, that is, VP-internally. I claim that the differentiation of subject positions said to underlie the interpretational contrast for subjects recurs in the VP for objects, inside the domain of …
Reiterative syntax
Syntactic Neutralization in Double Object Constructions
This article synthesizes the ''alternative projection'' view of the alternation between the DP + DP and DP + PP complement frames of English double object verbs, according to which the alternants are basegenerated as such, with a transformational account that claims that the DP + PP frame may be derived from the DP + DP frame. For some verbs allowing multiple complements, the DP + PP frame is syntactically ambiguous between a base-generated locat…
Double-Object Constructions in Syrian Arabic
This article documents double-object constructions in contemporary Syrian Arabic and presents an analysis of the case-frame alternations found there. Some double-object verbs assign accusative case to their indirect object, as in English, while others assign it dative, as in German. Yet, for both verb types, the double-object frame productively alternates with a frame in which the indirect object occurs in a prepositional phrase. Consequently, da…
Superlatives in Syrian Arabic
This paper describes superlative constructions in contemporary Syrian (Levantine) Arabic. These have the revealing property that the superlative morpheme may be linearly separated from the term that provides the degree scale it makes reference to. This displacement is syntactically constrained, lending support to theories that postulated movement in the derivation of superlative constructions. The data reported here also document a tight correlat…
Predication and movement in passive
Symmetry in Structure Building
This paper defends three interconnected claims: (a) selection is the only licensing procedure available to UG, specifically, checking is an instance of selection; (b) selection obtains in the mutual c-command configuration; and (c) though a head does not mutually c-command its own specifier, it mutually c-commands the specifier of its complement. A head may therefore license the specifier of its complement (as well as its complement) but not its …
NP-Interpretation and the Structure of Predicates
Two classes of intensional transitive verbs affect the interpretation of an indefinite object in the same way that stage- and individual-level predicates affect an indefinite subject. The contrast for objects is instantiated inside the scope of intensionality, that is, VP-internally. I claim that the differentiation of subject positions said to underlie the interpretational contrast for subjects recurs in the VP for objects, inside the domain of …
Introduction to the Special Issue
Proportions in time
Reiterative syntax
Symmetry in Structure Building
This paper defends three interconnected claims: (a) selection is the only licensing procedure available to UG, specifically, checking is an instance of selection; (b) selection obtains in the mutual c-command configuration; and (c) though a head does not mutually c-command its own specifier, it mutually c-commands the specifier of its complement. A head may therefore license the specifier of its complement (as well as its complement) but not its …
NP-Interpretation and the Structure of Predicates
Two classes of intensional transitive verbs affect the interpretation of an indefinite object in the same way that stage- and individual-level predicates affect an indefinite subject. The contrast for objects is instantiated inside the scope of intensionality, that is, VP-internally. I claim that the differentiation of subject positions said to underlie the interpretational contrast for subjects recurs in the VP for objects, inside the domain of …
Proportions in time
Verbal Complexes in Lebanese Arabic
This study examines a particular type of optionality in subject placement in Lebanese Arabic that indicates that that language allows restructuring, or derived clause union, mediated by formation of a verbal complex, in which a non-finite subordinate verb raises and adjoins to the finite matrix verb. In addition to the word order VSVX in control constructions, Lebanese Arabic also admits the order VVSX. This study considers rightward subject move…
Introduction to the Special Issue
Predication and movement in passive
The Arabic Imperfective
This paper argues that the imperfective verb form in Standard Arabic does not express an ‘imperfective’ meaning, but rather marks the default lexical form of the verb, and is therefore analogous to the English infinitive. The progressive and habitual readings cross-linguistically typical of the imperfective are derived in Arabic by applying covert progressive and habitual operators to this infinitival base. This hypothesis is supported by the fac…
Syntactic Neutralization in Double Object Constructions
This article synthesizes the ''alternative projection'' view of the alternation between the DP + DP and DP + PP complement frames of English double object verbs, according to which the alternants are basegenerated as such, with a transformational account that claims that the DP + PP frame may be derived from the DP + DP frame. For some verbs allowing multiple complements, the DP + PP frame is syntactically ambiguous between a base-generated locat…
The Universal Perfect in Syrian Arabic
This paper describes a construction in contemporary Syrian Arabic that matches the semantic features of the ‘universal perfect’ in English. The construction is based on a stative predicate and a duration adverbial and says that the state has held for the specified duration. The primary identifying morphological characteristic of the construction is the fact that the subject is doubled by a dative pronoun. The dative pronoun may surface as an encl…
Superlatives in Syrian Arabic
This paper describes superlative constructions in contemporary Syrian (Levantine) Arabic. These have the revealing property that the superlative morpheme may be linearly separated from the term that provides the degree scale it makes reference to. This displacement is syntactically constrained, lending support to theories that postulated movement in the derivation of superlative constructions. The data reported here also document a tight correlat…
On the interrogative terms ʔaddēʃ and kam in Syrian Arabic
This paper compares two interrogative terms— ʔaddēʃ and kam —in Syrian Arabic. Both of these form questions about quantity. I argue, though, that ʔaddēʃ and kam are fundamentally different both syntactically and semantically. ʔaddēʃ can be separated from the term that contributes the scale it asks about, which is typical of degree operators in Syrian Arabic. Various scales are compatible with ʔaddēʃ . This makes ʔaddēʃ similar to English how as i…
Double-Object Constructions in Syrian Arabic
This article documents double-object constructions in contemporary Syrian Arabic and presents an analysis of the case-frame alternations found there. Some double-object verbs assign accusative case to their indirect object, as in English, while others assign it dative, as in German. Yet, for both verb types, the double-object frame productively alternates with a frame in which the indirect object occurs in a prepositional phrase. Consequently, da…
Numeral differential constructions in Arabic
In sentences like Mary found three shells more than Joan did , three appears to syntactically modify the object noun shells yet is interpreted as a specification of the difference between the number of shells that Mary found and the number that Joan found. Accordingly, syntactic and semantic analyses of such cases cast the numeral as a modifier of more in the transformational base for this construction. In this paper, I present evidence from Arab…
Head and Dependent Marking in Clausal Possession
This article presents a new perspective on the derivational source for transitive verbs of possession. These are commonly postulated to be derived from a preposition expressing possession by incorporation of the preposition into an auxiliary. I reframe the contrast between prepositional and verbal expression of possession as an opposition between dependent and head marking of the possession relation, implemented syntactically as marking of either…
Conditions sur la définitude dans les superlatifs arabes
Cet article apporte des preuves sur la relation entre la définition morphologique et sémantique des superlatifs en arabe syrien. Les superlatifs en arabe syrien sont morphologiquement définis lorsque l’adjectif superlatif se trouve dans sa position post-nominale canonique, mais morphologiquement indéfinis lorsque l’adjectif superlatif se trouve dans une position périphérique gauche dérivée dans le DP, là où le morphème superlatif a généralement u…
Comparative constructions in Syrian Arabic
In this article, I describe the internal structure, surface distribution, and scope possibilities for comparative phrases in Syrian Arabic. Comparative phrases may show surface displacement from their scalar associate in this language, subject to certain restrictions. The restrictions on surface displacement match those on scope construal, suggesting that scope construal involves covert displacement. Further, the restrictions on displacement are …
Pronominalization and clitic doubling in Syrian and Omani Arabic
This article treats cliticization of a pronoun to a syntactic host and doubling of the clitic pronoun with a non-pronominal counterpart in Syrian and Omani Arabic. Although the two varieties are closely related and the morphological paradigms they display are very similar, the pronominalization and clitic pronoun doubling patterns they display are quite different. We trace this difference to a basic difference in whether the relevant syntactic pr…
Scope splitting in Syrian Arabic
Superlative displacement in 'sandwich' scenarios
Argument structure hierarchies and alternations in causative and double object constructions
Many varieties of Arabic display a causative construction that adds a causer to the argument structure of the underlying verb. When this verb is transitive, the causative derivative is ditransitive. In the Arabic varieties, these ditransitive causative verbs display a double object alternation fully parallel to the alternation that change of possession verbs like give display. I claim that two current analyses of the double object alternation do …
Linguistics (20 works) · Philosophy (20 works) · Computer Science (18 works) · Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation (16 works) · Mathematics (12 works) · Language, Linguistics, Cultural Analysis (11 works) · Arabic (7 works) · Verb (7 works) · Artificial Intelligence (5 works) · Phonetics and Phonology Research (5 works)