Linear Order and the Construction of Meaning: Is Syntax Deceptive?

Geneviève Girard-Gillet (1)

1 PRISMES - PRISMES - Langues, Textes, Arts et Cultures du Monde Anglophone - EA 4398

It is commonly assumed that the syntax of a sentence and its semantic interpretation cannot differ radically, if some kind of coherence is to be maintained. We analyse here some examples that tend to show that syntax sometimes imposes its own rules, regardless of the semantic data, and that the interpretation is then saved because of our general cognitive knowledge about the world. Conversely semantics sometimes "twists" the grammatical rules so as to enrich the linguistic tools the speaker requires for a better encoding of his/her communicative desires.

Mots clés: linear order; hierarchy; syntax; construction; interpretation

Domaines: Linguistique

Geneviève Girard-Gillet. Linear Order and the Construction of Meaning: Is Syntax Deceptive?. E-rea - Revue électronique d’études sur le monde anglophone, 2012, 9.2, pp.1-15. ⟨halshs-00682447⟩