Propositional anaphora in negative polar contexts (C10*)

• Subject Area: General and Comparative Linguistics, Experimental Linguistics, Typology, Non-European Languages ; Individual Linguistics, Historical Linguistics
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 281511265

The goal of this project is to arrive at a better understanding of the principles that govern anaphoric reference to propositions in negative sentences. We will systematically investigate the factors that make either the entire proposition including negation or the negated proposition prominent enough to be taken up by pronouns in dialogues as well as monologues via experimental methods such as forced choice, acceptability rating and text completion studies and via corpus analyses. Based on the results, we will develop a theoretical model of how the prominence of the two propositions that have been introduced is determined.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1252: Prominence in Language
• Applicant Institution: Universität zu Köln
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Stefan Hinterwimmer; Professorin Dr. Sophie Repp