The effect of givenness and referring expression on dative alternation in Norwegian: A reaction time study

Marta Velnić,Merete Anderssen

doi:10.1017/s0332586521000081

Abstract

AbstractThis study investigates how givenness and pronominality affect the dative alternation in Norwegian. Previous studies have found givenness to influence the Double Object Dative (DOD) but not the Prepositional Dative (PD). Thirty-one Norwegian native speakers completed a speeded acceptability judgment task, in which given objects were expressed by definite DPs or pronouns, and either preceded or followed the new referent. DODs were found to be highly sensitive to givenness. Surprisingly, PDs also showed contextual dependency. Referring expressions affected the two structures differently: reaction times were faster with pronouns in DODs and slower in PDs. This suggests that the alternates have different processing biases, with the former preferring pronouns and the latter DPs. The results are further considered in relation to the notion of harmonic alignment, as PDs, in which the typically animate recipient is always the second object, and will thus consistently represent a suboptimal and non-harmonious order when givenness is adhered to.

Highlights

Norwegian is a language that generally adheres to a strict word order, but there are certain structures in which alternations are possible
Even though all of the factors listed above clearly are at play in dative alternation (DA), we will focus on givenness and pronominality and explore what effect they have on speakers’ preferences when it comes to double object structures in Norwegian
This study has shown that the Prepositional Dative (PD) is sensitive to givenness in Norwegian, but less so than the Double Object Dative (DOD)

Summary

Introduction

Norwegian is a language that generally adheres to a strict word order, but there are certain structures in which alternations are possible. The different factors typically align, such that they reveal a preference for a definite, pronominal, animate, and/or light argument to precede one that is indefinite, non-pronominal, inanimate, and heavy In the literature this is referred to as HARMONIC ALIGNMENT, that is, the tendency for linguistic elements that are more or less prominent on a scale to be disproportionally distributed in respectively more or less prominent syntactic positions (Bresnan & Ford 2010:183). Harmonic alignment is more a property of DODs than PDs. Even though all of the factors listed above clearly are at play in DA, we will focus on givenness and pronominality and explore what effect they have on speakers’ preferences when it comes to double object structures in Norwegian

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion