LING 360 - Seminar on Comparatives / Degree Constructions
Instructors:
    Jonathan Bobaljik
    Yael Sharvit
 
Wed. 1-4; Arjona 344
 
Course Description:
Morphological and semantic aspects of various degree constructions.
 
Requirements:
(i)    Term paper
Draft due: April 4th, 2008
Final version due: May 2nd, 2008 (pdf file)
 
(ii)    1 presentation
 
Choose a degree construction in some language (not discussed in class), and present the empirical data and relate it to the theoretical issues discussed in class.
 
OR:
 
Present your term paper.
 
Readings/Topics:
 
Apr 16:
Rotstein, C. & Y. Winter. 2004. Total Adjectives vs. Partial Adjectives. NLS 12.

Apr 9: No class.

Apr 2:
Hay, J., C. Kennedy. & B. Levin. Scalar Structure Underlies Telicity in Degree Acheivements. SALT 9

Mar 28:
Bobaljik, Jonathan. 2007. On Comparative Suppletion. Ms. Section 5.

Mar 19:
Heim, Irene. 2007. Little. In proceedings of SALT XVI, CLC Publications.

Mar 5:
Stateva, Penka on Superlatives.

Feb 27:
Embick, David & Alec Marantz. 2008. Architecture and Blocking. Linguistic Inquiry 39.1.
and/or
Embick, David. 2007. Blocking Effects and Analytic/Synthetic Alternations. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory, 25.1.
[Articles available on-line via UConn libraries, either from on-campus or using VPN; will be in copy room shortly]

Feb 20:
Bobaljik, Jonathan David. 2007. On Comparative Suppletion. Ms. UConn. Sections 1-4.

Feb 13:        
Kennedy, Chris. To appear. Modes of comparison. Proceedings of CLS 43.

Feb 6:        
Beck, Sigrid, Toshiko Oda & Koji Sugisaki. 2004. Parametric Variation in the semantics of comparison. JEAL 13, 289-344.
Aihara, Masahiko. (to appear) Japanese Superlative Constructions. Evidence for -est Movement. NELS.

Jan 30:        
Cuzzolin & Lehmann. 2004. Comparison and Gradation. In Morphology, an International Handbook. Mouton de Gruyter. 1212-1220.
  
Additional Readings:
    

Stassen, Leon. 1985. Comparison and Universal Grammar. Oxford University Press. [In Xerox room]