Project C05

C05: Hidden variability in sharing constructions

PI(s): Georgi, Doreen, Prof. Dr.

This project investigates the limits of variability in the formation of filler-gap dependencies by studying sharing constructions (SCs), in which a single filler relates to several gaps (as in across-the-board and parasitic gap constructions). We will apply a battery of novel as well as refined diagnostics using quantitative experimental methods and direct elicitations to evaluate the hypothesis that SCs arise from variable underlying sources despite their surface similarities (= hidden variability). To this end, we will compare the morphosyntax of (i) different SCs within a language, and (ii) the same SC across different languages. The results will allow us to improve existing formal models of how the syntax generates sharing, and to better understand how the mechanisms involved in filler-gap-dependency formation are constrained.