Birner 06

Question 1

Topic of paper

Answer 1

Inferential relations and noncanonical word order

Question 2

Requirements of

1. Preposing constructions
2. Existential constructions
3. Argument reversal constructions

Answer 2

1. In preposing, Preposed constituent must be DO
2. In postposing, postposed constituent must be DN
3. In argument reversal constructions, preposed constituent must represent info that is at least as familiar in the discourse as the postposed constituent

Ex: X verb Y
X cannot be newer than Y

Question 3

3 categories of inferential relations

Answer 3

1. Bridging inferences
2. identity inferences
3. Elaborating inferences

Question 4

Bridging inference

Answer 4

Backward inference that is not made until utterance of Inferrable info. DO but HN

Ex: Mary took the picnic supplies out of the trunk. The beer was warm.

Question 5

Identity inference

Answer 5

Backward inference that identifies inferred entity with some prior evocation of the same entity (princes evoked) (HODO)

Ex: I told the guy at the door to look out but the idiot wouldn’t listen.

Question 6

Elaborating inference

Answer 6

Forward inference in which the inferential relation is not one of identity and yet evocation of the trigger element immediately and saliently evokes the Inferrable entity (HODO)

Ex: she got married recently and at the wedding was the mother, etc.

Question 7

Birner’s argument

Answer 7

Based on its distribution in noncanonical-word-order, (…) information related to the prior discourse via either an identity inference or an elaborating inference is DO and HO, while info related to the prior discourse via a bridging inference is DO but HN.
AND
DO info includes not only that which has been explicitly evoked, but in fact all info that is inferentially related to prior discourse.