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Development ofword order in german complement-clause constructions: Effects of input frequencies, lexical items, and discourse function

Publication ,  Journal Article
Brandt, S; Lieven, E; Tomasello, M
Published in: Language
September 1, 2010

We investigate the development of word order in German children's spontaneous production of complement clauses. From soon after their second birthday, young German children use both verb-final complements with complementizers and verb-second complements without complementizers. By their third birthday they use both kinds of complement clauses with a variety of complement-taking verbs. Early in development, however, verb-final complements and verbsecond complements are used with separate sets of complement-taking verbs, and they are used with separate sets of item-specific main-clause phrases. For example, initially phrases such as 'I want to see' were used exclusively with verb-final complements, whereas phrases such as 'do you see' and 'you have to say' were used exclusively with verb-second complements. Only later in development-when specific complement-taking verbs were used with both verb-second and verbfinal complements, with a greater variety of main-clause phrases, and when specific main-clause phrases were used with both verb-second and verb-final complements-was there evidence for structural links between these various, item-based, complement-clause constructions.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Language

DOI

EISSN

1535-0665

ISSN

0097-8507

Publication Date

September 1, 2010

Volume

86

Issue

3

Start / End Page

583 / 610

Related Subject Headings

  • Languages & Linguistics
  • 4704 Linguistics
  • 4703 Language studies
  • 2004 Linguistics
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
 

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Brandt, S., Lieven, E., & Tomasello, M. (2010). Development ofword order in german complement-clause constructions: Effects of input frequencies, lexical items, and discourse function. Language, 86(3), 583–610. https://doi.org/10.1353/lan.2010.0010
Brandt, S., E. Lieven, and M. Tomasello. “Development ofword order in german complement-clause constructions: Effects of input frequencies, lexical items, and discourse function.” Language 86, no. 3 (September 1, 2010): 583–610. https://doi.org/10.1353/lan.2010.0010.
Brandt, S., et al. “Development ofword order in german complement-clause constructions: Effects of input frequencies, lexical items, and discourse function.” Language, vol. 86, no. 3, Sept. 2010, pp. 583–610. Scopus, doi:10.1353/lan.2010.0010.

Published In

Language

DOI

EISSN

1535-0665

ISSN

0097-8507

Publication Date

September 1, 2010

Volume

86

Issue

3

Start / End Page

583 / 610

Related Subject Headings

  • Languages & Linguistics
  • 4704 Linguistics
  • 4703 Language studies
  • 2004 Linguistics
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences