Abstract In this paper, we investigate a type of non-canonical question that is not information-seeking, but rather expresses the speaker’s surprise and/or disapproval with respect to event denoted by propositional part question. Our work empirically based on claims have been put forward in syntactic literature, and our study aims at assessing those theoretical about illocutionary status surprise-disapproval questions exploring their pragmatics.

Discourse particles are little words that provide non-at-issue content to sentences, reshaping the illocutionary force of an utterance. Among them, question-sensitive discourse (QDiPs), like German denn, subject a number interacting syntactic, semantic and pragmatic licensing constraints, offering unique window into language processing at interfaces. We present EEG data on QDiPs in different types interrogatives (eliciting either syntactic/semantic or QDiP licensing), along with declaratives...

The Ring1B is a core subunit protein of the PRC1 (polycomb repressive complex 1), which plays key roles in regulation Homeobox gene expression, X-chromosome inactivation, stem cell self-renewal, and tumorigenesis. C-terminal region interacts with RYBP, transcriptional repressor transiently transfected cells, also M33, another involved mesoderm patterning. In this work, we show that domain Ring1B, C-Ring1B, dimer solution, dissociation constant 200 microM, as shown by NMR, ITC, analytical gel...

Abstract Comprehension of transitive sentences relies on different kinds information, like word order, case marking, and animacy contrasts between arguments. When no formal cues marking or number congruency are available, a contrast in helps the parser to decide which argument is grammatical subject object. Processing costs enhanced when neither nor available sentence. We present an ERP study comprehension German sentences, manipulating subjects objects as well verbal pattern. Our shows...

This paper presents a new toolkit for assessing Theory of Mind (ToM) via performance in first and second-order false belief (FB) tasks. The includes verbal non-verbal versions FB tasks; the version is currently available Greek German. Scenarios are balanced factors that may influence performance, like reason (deception, change-of-location, unexpected content). To validate our toolkit, we tested neurotypical adults two studies: Study 1 with 50 native speakers German 2 Greek. data from both...

This paper is a contribution to long-standing discussion related the domain of aspectual interpretation. More precisely, it focuses on impact degree specificity and morphological complexity time course processing perfective (prefixed semelfactive perfective) imperfective (simple iterative imperfective) verbs in Polish. In two experiments, eye-tracking during reading self-paced reading, we tested hypothesis based Frisson & Pickering (1999), (2001), (2009) that interpretation semantically...

German particle verbs consist of a base and particle, two constituents which occupy separate positions in main clauses, but share one lexical entry. It is still unclear if the combination particles bases during sentence comprehension lexical, syntactic or dual nature. Using behavioural ERP measurements, we investigated access integration split two-argument sentences. Our results show that violating structure constraints leads to both processing difficulty. This extends earlier comparable...

Traditionally, languages are assumed to minimally manifest a distinction between nouns and verbs. This assumption has occasionally been debated in the theoretical linguistic literature, particular context of challenging verbal noun constructions that simultaneously nominal features. From psycholinguistic perspective, one most promising diagnostic criteria for determining whether given word belongs category NOUN or VERB is an event-related brain potential (ERP) component, P200, whose...

Modal particles (MPs) like German bloß form a heterogeneous lexical category. One common property is that they do not contribute to the propositional meaning of sentence, but rather display Not-At-Issue (NAI) meaning. All these words are ambiguous between NAI MP and an At-Issue (AI) counterpart (e.g., focus particles, adverbs, conjunctions). Unlike MPs, typically affects truth conditions, as particle with translation ‘only’. So far, there has been little psycholinguistic research on...

Animacy is an intrinsic semantic property of words referring to living things. A long line evidence shows that with animate referents require lower processing costs during word recognition than inanimate referents, leading among others a decreased N400 amplitude in reaction relative objects. In the current study, we use this animacy effect provide for access properties constituents German noun-noun compounds. While morphological decomposition compounds well-researched and illustrated by...

In case-marking languages like German, nonstandard nominative-dative verbs lead to enhanced processing costs. So far, it is unclear if these effects reflect the special syntax or semantics of verbs. We present results two ERP experiments aimed disentangle semantic and syntactic contributions lexical by manipulating object animacy for verb types: simple (nonstandard verbs) particle only). Simple show case-marking, no effects. Particle nominative-accusative Our findings suggest that syntax,...

Abstract In an eye-tracking during reading experiment we investigated the processing of ambiguous Polish imperfective verbs in contexts with disambiguating (‘frequently’ and ‘yesterday’) neutral preceding adverbs. Grammatical number NP objects was also manipulated. Verb regions received significantly longer regression path times when following a compared to 'yesterday' contexts. This implies that both senses polysemous are activated on verbal region. Post-hoc analyses revealed more...

In the Romance languages, definite plural articles (e.g., le rane ‘the frogs’) are generally ambiguous between a generic and specific interpretation, speakers must reconstruct intended interpretation through linguistic or extra-linguistic context. Following “polar bear” paradigm implemented in Czypionka & Kupisch (2019)’s investigation on German, goal of present study is to check suitability their test article semantics, by establishing what extent native Italian interpret DPs as...

Question-sensitive discourse particles (QDiPs) like German denn introduce non-at-issue meaning that intuitively reshapes the Force of interrogative clause. QDiPs have interesting licensing conditions: While Q-operators do not license across clause boundaries, embedded can be licensed if wh-element was moved from containing QDiP. We present results two rating and self-paced reading studies, with following main results. First, outright violations cause strong effects. Second, for DiPs, a mild...