Sonja Müller:
Ergänzungsfragen im Konjunktiv I
Abstract:
This paper is concerned with the interaction of the present subjunctive and the interrogative sentence mood (in German). Lohnstein (2000, 2007, 2012) develops a semantic account which relies on conversational backgrounds and partition semantics and which does not allow the occurrence of the present subjunctive in the interrogative sentence mood. Chiba (2009) offers an analysis of (un)acceptable embedded present subjunctives in English based on Sadock & Zwicky’s (1985) theory of sentence types, that is by anchoring the restriction between syntax and pragmatics. Building on authentic corpus data showing fully acceptable German present subjunctive wh-interrogatives, this paper suggests a novel analysis which places the restriction on the (pragmatic) level of illocutionary acts and models the data by building on classical speech act theory.
