The structure of the DP and its reflex in Scandinavian
Susanne Lohrmann · OPUS Publication Server of the University of Stuttgart (University of Stuttgart) · 2010
The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the structure of the DP and its reflex in Scandinavian. To this end I analysed the semantic contribution of the articles in Scandinavian modified definite DPs and their interaction with the adjectival inflection. I also considered other factors, such as the diachronic development of the respective morphemes. The DP structure put forth in this dissertation can account for the interaction of the functional morphemes involved in modified definite DPs as well as for the variation found regarding the marking of definiteness in the Scandinavian languages. In detail I claim that the notion of definiteness in Scandinavian is expressed by an interplay of three morphemes: the preadjectival article introduces a discourse referent that contains a new discourse variable; the suffixed article brings about specific reference; and the weak adjectival inflection identifies the members of the subset in the denotation of the modified noun.