A fresh look at root infinitives from a cross-linguistic perspective
In this paper we examine the relation between the quantity and quality of the adult input to the child and the intensity of the root-infinitive stage in child language. We compare the languages English, French, German, Italian and Brazilian Portuguese and test whether children produce infinitives mo...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Septentrio Academic Publishing
2008-02-01
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| Series: | Nordlyd: Tromsø University Working Papers on Language & Linguistics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/nordlyd/article/view/124 |
| _version_ | 1818269108970455040 |
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| author | Tanja Kupisch Esther Rinke |
| author_facet | Tanja Kupisch Esther Rinke |
| author_sort | Tanja Kupisch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this paper we examine the relation between the quantity and quality of the adult input to the child and the intensity of the root-infinitive stage in child language. We compare the languages English, French, German, Italian and Brazilian Portuguese and test whether children produce infinitives more extensively if the verb morphology of their target-languages is ambiguous with respect to the distinction between finite and nonfinite verb forms, or whether the token-frequency of nonfinite verbs in the Input is crucial. We conclude by proposing that the latter is not decisive. Rather, children seem to avoid the use of finite verb forms especially in languages whose verb paradigms are characterized by ambiguities. Root infinitives may thus be viewed as a temporary phenomenon in a phase during which children are learning the inflectional properties of their target language. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T20:49:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8b710c0c0fcd46baab6e03792d04b055 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1503-8599 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T20:49:09Z |
| publishDate | 2008-02-01 |
| publisher | Septentrio Academic Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nordlyd: Tromsø University Working Papers on Language & Linguistics |
| spelling | doaj.art-8b710c0c0fcd46baab6e03792d04b0552022-12-22T00:12:28ZengSeptentrio Academic PublishingNordlyd: Tromsø University Working Papers on Language & Linguistics1503-85992008-02-0134310.7557/12.124109A fresh look at root infinitives from a cross-linguistic perspectiveTanja Kupisch0Esther Rinke1University of CalgaryUniversity of HamburgIn this paper we examine the relation between the quantity and quality of the adult input to the child and the intensity of the root-infinitive stage in child language. We compare the languages English, French, German, Italian and Brazilian Portuguese and test whether children produce infinitives more extensively if the verb morphology of their target-languages is ambiguous with respect to the distinction between finite and nonfinite verb forms, or whether the token-frequency of nonfinite verbs in the Input is crucial. We conclude by proposing that the latter is not decisive. Rather, children seem to avoid the use of finite verb forms especially in languages whose verb paradigms are characterized by ambiguities. Root infinitives may thus be viewed as a temporary phenomenon in a phase during which children are learning the inflectional properties of their target language.https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/nordlyd/article/view/124root infinitivesfinite verbstoken-frequencyoptional infinitive stageambiguitycopula omissions |
| spellingShingle | Tanja Kupisch Esther Rinke A fresh look at root infinitives from a cross-linguistic perspective Nordlyd: Tromsø University Working Papers on Language & Linguistics root infinitives finite verbs token-frequency optional infinitive stage ambiguity copula omissions |
| title | A fresh look at root infinitives from a cross-linguistic perspective |
| title_full | A fresh look at root infinitives from a cross-linguistic perspective |
| title_fullStr | A fresh look at root infinitives from a cross-linguistic perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | A fresh look at root infinitives from a cross-linguistic perspective |
| title_short | A fresh look at root infinitives from a cross-linguistic perspective |
| title_sort | fresh look at root infinitives from a cross linguistic perspective |
| topic | root infinitives finite verbs token-frequency optional infinitive stage ambiguity copula omissions |
| url | https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/nordlyd/article/view/124 |
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