Projects
Contrastive subjects in french: a quantitative corpus analysis KU Leuven
In French, contrastive subjects can be marked in different ways. In this dissertation, we focus on: (i) preverbal subjects modified by contrastive adverbs such as par contre, au contraire 'on the other hand' (Jean, par contre, est parti 'Jean, on the other hand, has left'), (ii) preverbal subjects followed by an emphatic pronoun (Jean, lui, est parti ‘Jean, him, has left’ (lit.)), and (iii) preverbal subjects followed by an emphatic pronoun ...
A contrastive study of evidential verbs of appearance in English and Dutch: Probing the syntax-semantics interface by means of a corpus-based investigation of SEEM/APPEAR/TURN OUT and LIJKEN/SCHIJNEN/BLIJKEN-constructions Ghent University
This project consists in a contrastive study of English and Dutch verbs of appearance, which may serve an evidential function. Adopting a Construction Grammar and grammaticalization theory approach, the project seeks to explore the syntax-semantics interface and to position the constructions on a cline from lexical to grammatical. The constructions’ functions will be characterized in terms of epistemic modality, evidentiality and ...
The Hierarchical lexicon: a contrastive study of productivitiy and schematicity in Nominal Compounds in German, Dutch and Swedish Ghent University
The project investigates the productivity and schematicity of nominal the compounds in German, Ductch and Swedish. Lexicological and Corpus-linguistic data are used to document convergences and divergences and to draw conclusions with regard to morphologica! theory (with special reference to the theory of the 'hierarchiecal lexicon' in construction morphology), the Germanic languages, and contrastive linguistics.
Writing Process Analysis Tools for Chinese: Creating an instrumental basis for contrastive research. University of Antwerp
Contrastive research involving Spanish, English, French and Dutch: descriptive, computational and theoretical aspects. Ghent University
Addition of the Spanish component to the current Contragram research on verb structures in English, French and Dutch. More specifically: testing of a hypothesis regarding the difference between 'satellite framing' and 'verb framing' languages. Joint research is also envisaged on the limits of corpus-driven research, both imposed by the available software and by the nature of certain research questions.
From mass noun to count noun in French and Dutch. A contrastive corpus-based study on the nature and productivity of coercion Ghent University
This project proposes a detailed corpusbased contrastive analysis (French vs.Dutch) of a case of coercion, viz. the occasional use of mass nouns in constructions typical of count nouns, including also a limited experimental psycholinguistic verification. Besides the descriptive question (frequency, semantic effetcs, conditions/restrictions), the project addresses the question of the nature and relevance of coercion as a theoretical ...
Grammaticalization or diffusion: a contrastive study of the mechanisms and factors in the development of English and Dutch infinitives. KU Leuven
A contrastive translation study of the non-prototypical agent in subject position Ghent University
This study aims at a comparative survey of semantic, syntactic and lexical features of English, French and Dutch non-prototypical agens in subject position, the restreictions that apply to them and which alternative syntactic and lexical strategies are possible. A survey will also be provided of translation techniques with an in-depth analysis of the correlations between the linguistic features and the translation techniques.