In the periphery of an indefinite pronoun. Forms and functions of conceptual agreement with jemand
In German, the social gender of the human referent matches the grammatical gender of the noun and pronoun in many cases. Nevertheless, those categories can also differ from each other. The indefinite pronoun jemand ‘someone’ prototypically exhibits masculine grammatical gender irrespective of its co...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
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De Gruyter
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Zeitschrift für Sprachwissenschaft |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/zfs-2023-2006 |
| _version_ | 1797628661985181696 |
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| author | Ellsäßer Sophie |
| author_facet | Ellsäßer Sophie |
| author_sort | Ellsäßer Sophie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In German, the social gender of the human referent matches the grammatical gender of the noun and pronoun in many cases. Nevertheless, those categories can also differ from each other. The indefinite pronoun jemand ‘someone’ prototypically exhibits masculine grammatical gender irrespective of its concrete referents. This paper addresses a special phenomenon that can occur with jemand, namely, the conceptual agreement of relative pronouns, i.e., the occurrence of feminine target forms that refer to the masculine indefinite pronoun jemand (Sie ist jemand, die gerne Kaffee trinkt ‘She is someonem, whof likes to drink coffee’). Based on two empirical analyses that examine the phenomenon from different methodological perspectives, this article will demonstrate that the marked phenomenon is comparatively rare, but does occur nevertheless. The phenomenon cannot be fully explained by the loss of the genericity of indefinite pronouns. In fact, either semantic or pragmatic explanations can be applied. This phenomenon can especially be observed in specific types of contexts (or constructions) that lack the prototypical feature of indefinite pronouns: indefinite reference. Jemand increasingly seems to be emerging in non-prototypical contexts for indefinite pronouns, which to some extent override the morphosyntactic features of the (relevant) part of speech. This occurrence is a semantic explanation for conceptual agreement forms. Pragmatic explanations for variation in agreement forms can be applied in prototypical contexts of indefinite pronouns, for example when an effort to use gender-sensitive language is made. Based on the phenomenon of conceptual agreement, this article thus explores the functions and properties in the periphery of indefinite pronouns as a part of speech. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:42:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a50493f6047342c0b5d4dad92aee4858 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0721-9067 1613-3706 |
| language | deu |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:42:08Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | De Gruyter |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Zeitschrift für Sprachwissenschaft |
| spelling | doaj.art-a50493f6047342c0b5d4dad92aee48582023-11-14T08:30:56ZdeuDe GruyterZeitschrift für Sprachwissenschaft0721-90671613-37062023-11-0142220923610.1515/zfs-2023-2006In the periphery of an indefinite pronoun. Forms and functions of conceptual agreement with jemandEllsäßer Sophie0Institut für Germanistik, Universität Osnabrück, Osnabrück, GermanyIn German, the social gender of the human referent matches the grammatical gender of the noun and pronoun in many cases. Nevertheless, those categories can also differ from each other. The indefinite pronoun jemand ‘someone’ prototypically exhibits masculine grammatical gender irrespective of its concrete referents. This paper addresses a special phenomenon that can occur with jemand, namely, the conceptual agreement of relative pronouns, i.e., the occurrence of feminine target forms that refer to the masculine indefinite pronoun jemand (Sie ist jemand, die gerne Kaffee trinkt ‘She is someonem, whof likes to drink coffee’). Based on two empirical analyses that examine the phenomenon from different methodological perspectives, this article will demonstrate that the marked phenomenon is comparatively rare, but does occur nevertheless. The phenomenon cannot be fully explained by the loss of the genericity of indefinite pronouns. In fact, either semantic or pragmatic explanations can be applied. This phenomenon can especially be observed in specific types of contexts (or constructions) that lack the prototypical feature of indefinite pronouns: indefinite reference. Jemand increasingly seems to be emerging in non-prototypical contexts for indefinite pronouns, which to some extent override the morphosyntactic features of the (relevant) part of speech. This occurrence is a semantic explanation for conceptual agreement forms. Pragmatic explanations for variation in agreement forms can be applied in prototypical contexts of indefinite pronouns, for example when an effort to use gender-sensitive language is made. Based on the phenomenon of conceptual agreement, this article thus explores the functions and properties in the periphery of indefinite pronouns as a part of speech.https://doi.org/10.1515/zfs-2023-2006conceptual agreementgrammatical agreementhuman referenceindefinite pronounspecificity |
| spellingShingle | Ellsäßer Sophie In the periphery of an indefinite pronoun. Forms and functions of conceptual agreement with jemand Zeitschrift für Sprachwissenschaft conceptual agreement grammatical agreement human reference indefinite pronoun specificity |
| title | In the periphery of an indefinite pronoun. Forms and functions of conceptual agreement with jemand |
| title_full | In the periphery of an indefinite pronoun. Forms and functions of conceptual agreement with jemand |
| title_fullStr | In the periphery of an indefinite pronoun. Forms and functions of conceptual agreement with jemand |
| title_full_unstemmed | In the periphery of an indefinite pronoun. Forms and functions of conceptual agreement with jemand |
| title_short | In the periphery of an indefinite pronoun. Forms and functions of conceptual agreement with jemand |
| title_sort | in the periphery of an indefinite pronoun forms and functions of conceptual agreement with jemand |
| topic | conceptual agreement grammatical agreement human reference indefinite pronoun specificity |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1515/zfs-2023-2006 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ellsaßersophie intheperipheryofanindefinitepronounformsandfunctionsofconceptualagreementwithjemand |