Mismatches in the interface between prosody, syntax and information structure

LECTURER: CAROLINE FÉRY
August 12-16, 14.00-15.30, Room 3.105

In this class, we will explore different kinds of mismatches between prosody on the one hand and other parts of grammar, such as syntax and pragmatics, on the other hand. In a first step, intonation typology will be introduced that distinguishes between intonation languages, pitch accent languages and tone languages. In a second step, the impact of information structure on the formation of prosodic phrases and intonation will also be discussed. Stress patterns, tones and phrasing will be addressed and compared. It will be shown how the different intonational types have different interface solutions for the expression of focus, givenness and topic. In all cases, mismatches are frequent at higher levels of the prosodic hierarchy: prosodic word, prosodic phrase and intonation phrase but they differ from each other in different languages. We will use data from a variety of languages to illustrate the importance of understanding prosodic structure and intonation for other aspects of grammar.