Freezing: Between grammar and processing
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Peter W. Culicover
Abstract
We argue in this paper that ‘freezing’ phenomena do not reflect grammatical constraints, but rather processing complexity. We extend this result to the radical hypothesis that in general, judgments of unacceptability that have been taken in the literature as evidence for grammatical constraints on otherwise well-formed configurations are in fact the consequence of processing complexity and context effects. After briefly reviewing the notion of freezing, we look at the kind of evidence that has been used to argue for freezing constraints. Then we review experimental evidence that suggests that the unacceptability of certain freezing configurations is actually due to the processing effects of interacting extraction chains, and we argue that certain freezing effects are due to discourse processing factors such as information structure. We conclude with a summary and a statement of our radical hypothesis as a basis for future research.
Abstract
We argue in this paper that ‘freezing’ phenomena do not reflect grammatical constraints, but rather processing complexity. We extend this result to the radical hypothesis that in general, judgments of unacceptability that have been taken in the literature as evidence for grammatical constraints on otherwise well-formed configurations are in fact the consequence of processing complexity and context effects. After briefly reviewing the notion of freezing, we look at the kind of evidence that has been used to argue for freezing constraints. Then we review experimental evidence that suggests that the unacceptability of certain freezing configurations is actually due to the processing effects of interacting extraction chains, and we argue that certain freezing effects are due to discourse processing factors such as information structure. We conclude with a summary and a statement of our radical hypothesis as a basis for future research.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents VII
- Exploring the concepts of Freezing: Theoretical and empirical perspectives 1
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Part I: Theoretical advancement
- Criterial Freezing in small clauses and the cartography of copular constructions 29
- Freezing Effects in a free-Merge System 66
- Freezing in complex prefields 105
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Part II: Empirical domains
- The Freezing points of the (Dutch) adjectival system 143
- Freezing in it-clefts: Movement and focus 195
- Criterial Freezing in the syntax of particles 225
- Only syntax 264
- Freezing and phi-feature agreement: On the role of [PERSON] 284
- Freezing, Topic Opacity and Phase-based Cyclicity in Subject Islands 317
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Part III: Interface extensions
- Freezing: Between grammar and processing 353
- Heavy NP shift in context: On the interaction of information structure and subextraction from shifted constituents 387
- Freezing as a probabilistic phenomenon 403
- An experimental study on freezing and topicalization in English 430
- Index 451
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents VII
- Exploring the concepts of Freezing: Theoretical and empirical perspectives 1
-
Part I: Theoretical advancement
- Criterial Freezing in small clauses and the cartography of copular constructions 29
- Freezing Effects in a free-Merge System 66
- Freezing in complex prefields 105
-
Part II: Empirical domains
- The Freezing points of the (Dutch) adjectival system 143
- Freezing in it-clefts: Movement and focus 195
- Criterial Freezing in the syntax of particles 225
- Only syntax 264
- Freezing and phi-feature agreement: On the role of [PERSON] 284
- Freezing, Topic Opacity and Phase-based Cyclicity in Subject Islands 317
-
Part III: Interface extensions
- Freezing: Between grammar and processing 353
- Heavy NP shift in context: On the interaction of information structure and subextraction from shifted constituents 387
- Freezing as a probabilistic phenomenon 403
- An experimental study on freezing and topicalization in English 430
- Index 451
