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Scrambled or Sunny Side Up? Exploring the Scrambling of Definite Noun Phrases

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This study analyzes the phenomenon of scrambling in Dutch, focusing on the interaction between anaphoric and non-anaphoric definite noun phrases. Using Optimality Theory (OT), it evaluates constraints that lead to either scrambling or non-scrambling outcomes, revealing its probabilistic nature based on context. Data from informal collections and online sources demonstrate a trend away from scrambling with non-anaphoric objects. This research highlights the nuances of sentence structure and the implications for understanding communication dynamics in Dutch.

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Scrambled or Sunny Side Up? Exploring the Scrambling of Definite Noun Phrases

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  1. Scrambled or Sunny Side Up? Jack Hoeksema CLCG U of Groningen

  2. Scrambling of definites • Scrambling Je hoeft je bord niet leeg t te eten You have your plate not empty to eat “You don’t have to finish your plate’ • Or not: Je hoeft niet je bord leeg te eten

  3. OT conditions (De Hoop 2003) • NEW: Anaphoric elements scramble (Anaphoric: prior mention: old before new) • STAY: No scrambling • SC1 (= Surface Correspondence 1): Definites Scramble

  4. Anttila’s Theory of Variation • An output candidate is predicted by the grammar iff it wins in some tableau (given a partial ranking of constraints) • If a candidate wins in n tableaux and t is the total number of tableaux, then the candidate’s probability of occurrence is n/t

  5. Anaphoric Definites • 3 constraints relevant, so 6 possible orderings • when STAY dominates the rest, there is no scrambling, otherwise scrambling is optimal • in 2 out of 6 orderings, STAY is dominant • So probability of scrambling is 2/3

  6. Nonanaphoric definites • NEW is irrelevant • so only the interaction of STAY and SC1 matters • when STAY > SC1, no scrambling • when SC1 > STAY, scrambling • hence probability of scrambling for nonanaphoric definites is 1/2

  7. Bidirectional perspective: Case 1, Scrambling • Hearer perspective: both interpretations are optimal in case of Scrambling

  8. Bidirectional perspective:Case 2, Nonscrambling • Hearer perspective: in case of nonscrambling, nonanaphoric reading is optimal. Note that the ordering of the constraints is irrelevant

  9. So • De Hoop’s production OT predicts for [+anaphoric] definite noun phrases 67% scrambling, 33% nonscrambling • Bidirectional OT (using De Hoop’s constraints) would predict 100% scrambling, since nonscrambling would lead to [–anaphoric] readings

  10. Testing the theory: informally collected data

  11. Some specific combinations • Ik kan die vent niet uitstaan I can that guy not stand ‘I cannot stand that guy’ • *Ik kan niet die vent uitstaan Note: die vent is an epithet, so +def, +anaphoric

  12. Internet data • die vent niet uitstaan: 33 occurrences (Google) • niet die vent uitstaan: 0 occurrences

  13. other epithets, with de • Ik kan de man niet uitstaan I can the man not stand ‘I can’t stand the guy’ • *Ik kan niet de man uitstaan

  14. or het • Ik kan het mens niet luchten I can the woman not stand ‘I can’t stand the woman’ • *Ik kan niet het mens luchten

  15. or with other adverbs • Ik heb het mens nog gewaarschuwd I have the woman yet warned ‘I did warn the woman’ • *Ik heb nog het mens gewaarschuwd

  16. De/het N niet aankunnen ‘the N not can handle’ • Hij kon de druk niet aan. He could the pressure not on ‘He couldn’t handle the pressure’ Corpus data • Def. Object: 37 cases of Scrambling • 0 cases of Nonscrambling order

  17. [-anaphoric] • You have the right to remain silent • Het recht ‘the right’ • De tijd ‘the time’ • De moed ‘the courage’ • De energie ‘the energy’

  18. Rise of nonscrambling +def, –anaph direct objects of have/give/get (raw numbers)

  19. Rise of nonscrambling order among +def, –anaph direct objects of have/give (in %)

  20. Zo veel N “so much N” • Ik heb niet zo veel geld I have not so much money ‘I don’t have so much money’ • Ik heb zo veel geld niet

  21. Raw numbers ZO VEEL N

  22. Def. Objects versus ZO VEEL N

  23. Conclusions • Scrambling of [- ANAPHORIC] definite objects is slowly on its way out • Scrambling is highly sensitive to the difference between [+ANAPHORIC] and [-ANAPHORIC] definites • Stochastic OT is probably more suitable for describing scrambling than Anttila’s theory of variation

  24. References • Helen de Hoop, 2003, ‘Scrambling in Dutch: Optionality and Optimality’, in: Simin Karimi, ed., Word Order and Scrambling, Blackwell. • Arto Anttila & Young-mee Cho, 1998, ‘Variation and Change in Optimality Theory.’ Lingua 104:31-56.

  25. Thanks for your attention!

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