Factivity-assertivity-alternation(s) in German and Polish

Roč.73,č.2(2025)

Karolina Zuchewicz André Meinunger

https://doi.org/10.5817/LB2025-38585

Trvalý odkaz (handle):
http://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/digilib.83067

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Abstrakt
This paper discusses the role of the reportative subjunctive in the factivity-assertivity-alternation in German and Polish. It contributes to research stating that factivity is not an inherent feature of a predicate but an effect of structural configurations. We show that cognitive and emotive factives can have both a factive and a non-factive interpretation, depending on the syntactic frame they appear in. Factive meanings arise when an embedded indicative clause is introduced by the complementizer dass in German and że in Polish. In German, the presence of a complementizer forces an embedded verb to appear head-final. In Polish, there is no such restriction. German additionally allows for the complementizer-less verb-second subordinate clauses, but only with matrix communication verbs. In this case, an embedded proposition functions as an independent (mediated or shifted) assertion. Our crucial point is that this V2-order is acceptable with factive verbs like regret, be happy, remember, find out, etc. if an embedded verb is marked for the reportative subjunctive. What happens then is that the factive matrix verb is reinterpreted as a verb of communication. In Polish, the complementizer-alternation fulfills the same function. If the subordinate clause is being introduced by jakoby instead of że, the embedded proposition expresses an assertion, towards which a matrix subject has a cognitive or an emotional attitude (stating to have found out, expressing with regret, etc.). Crucially, in both German and Polish, subjunctive clauses, in contrast to indicative clauses, cannot be coreferent with a proform. This indicates that the former, in contrast to the latter, are born as reports, and that the latter, in contrast to the former, have a nouny origin. The goal of this paper is to describe the factivity-assertivity-alternation in German and Polish and to present an outline of a theoretical explanation.

Klíčová slova:
factivity; assertivity; embedding; reportative mood

Stránky:
73–99
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