Abstract

The purpose of this essay is basically informative; we are dealing with studies related to the prosody of spontaneous speech which are still not very well known in the world of Spanish linguistics (which includes Catalan linguistics). We offer a general state of affairs, and do not seek, therefore, to present the conclusions or results of any individual empirical study, but rather to point out some of the latest channels of investigation.The criteria adopted in the exposition of authors and schools are chronological and epistemological, both of which overlap. Knowledge regarding the demarcative function of intonation has been perfected comparably to the development of linguistics; from the study of ideal and isolated units of sentence we go over to consider total units formed by elements of an inferior category (Sentence Functional Perspective), which leads us to the need to justify how enunciative contents are presented (School of Prague, English Systematics ...). Once we have transcended the frame of sentences and of the analysis of macro-units in oral language we are taken from the study of the demarcative mission of intonation inside a contribution, to denote the boundaries between contributions (turns). 368   We therefore find ourselves before discursive or interactive and conversational approaches (Schools of Edimburgh and Birmingham; I. Lehiste ...). Finally, it seems correct to defend the demarcative viewpoint in the hierarchical function of intonation, establishing boundaries between units in their different levels of linguistic expression (Phonological Hierarchy of Linguistic Units, Treach 1974).

Abstract

This article covers Spanish and Catalan clitic pronouns according to the fundamental theoretical principles of Distributed Morphology. The author postulates that the syntax-phonology mapping of clitics consists of two sub­mappings, the first from syntax to morphology and the second from morphology to phonology. In this second mapping, the clitics may suffer the effect of various morphological rules, specifically, the structural operations of Impoverishment, Adjunction, Fusion and Fission. The author proves that the complex and quirky behaviour of clitics and clitic clusters in Spanish and Barceloní can be easily explained by taking into account that these four operations act on the clitics' syntactical terminals in a morphological component which is intermediate between phonology and syntax.

Abstract

L’objectiu d’aquest article és analitzar els principals criteris que les guies d’estil recomanen per a visibilitzar les dones —o per fer un ús no sexista del llenguatge— des de dos punts de vista: el sintacticosemàntic i el discursiu. Des del punt de vista sintacticosemàntic, s’estudien bàsicament els fenòmens relacionats amb la coordinació, la concordança i la repetició o elisió d’elements (per exemple, especificadors del nom), i la manera com les diferents opcions afecten el significat oracional. Des del punt de vista discursiu, s’analitzen els fenòmens relacionats amb la coreferència; és a dir, la relació entre les diferents maneres d’expressar un mateix referent per mitjà d’elements nominals al llarg del text, i l’efecte que provoquen en el text en conjunt. Amb aquest objectiu, l’estudi analitza des d’un punt de vista qualitatiu les dades proporcionades per un corpus de textos procedents de tres àmbits (polític, administratiu i educatiu) en què s’apliquen sovint aquesta mena de criteris.

Abstract

This article reflects upon new observations and old concepts related to the acquisition of syntax by examining the strengths and weaknesses of research in acquisitional syntax. Two of the strengths are the interdisciplinary nature of child acquisitional studies and the potential dialogue between research in theoretical syntax and acquisitional syntax. A weakness, possibly the result of excessive specialization, is the lack of real dialogue in general debates related to central foundational concepts in syntax, such as the poverty of stimulus argument or the conception of Universal Grammar. This article reviews two recent publications that touch upon these topics and discusses the results in light of research in early syntax within the generative paradigm.

Abstract

After Serafini’s (1992) distinction between loose and cohesive style, this paper shows the influence of sentence syntax on text construction and interpretation. Several stylistic effects derived from the use of one style or the other will be discussed by analyzing and comparing some texts in Catalan, Spanish and English. This analysis will highlight common tendencies along with interesting differences among the three languages. In addition, the loose-cohesive style dichotomy will be applied to literary and journalistic discourse analysis, on the one hand, and to contrastive analysis and translation, on the other hand.