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The ‘Noun Phrase’ across Languages: An emergent unit in interaction
Edited by Tsuyoshi Ono and Sandra A. Thompson
[Typological Studies in Language 128] 2020
► pp. 43–70

Chapter 3
Emergent complex noun phrases

On-line trajectories of ‘relativized’ NPs in French talk-in-interaction

| University of Neuchâtel
| University of Neuchâtel
| University of Neuchâtel

In this paper, we document the temporal and contingent nature of noun phrases (NPs). Focusing on relativized NPs, we show that they are produced as an interactional accomplishment, emerging from how participants adapt to each other’s verbal and non-verbal conduct. Based on 20 hours of French conversation, we identify two types of emergent complex NPs, and document their interactional working: Those resulting from a current speaker’s adding on a relative clause increment to his/her preceding turn; and those resulting from a next speaker’s production of such an increment, yielding jointly constructed NPs. We discuss implications for our understanding of the NP as an emergent unit, of the subordinate (or not) status of relative clauses, and of the notion of increment.

Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Formal properties of on-line emergent relativized NPs
    • 2.1Relativized NPs resulting from self-incrementation
    • 2.2Relativized NPs resulting from other-incrementation
  • 3.The interactional workings of on-line emergent relativized NPs
    • 3.1Self-incrementing an NP by means of an RC: Pursuing uptake and repairing reference
    • 3.2Other-incrementing an NP by means of an RC: Initiating referential repair and accomplishing a disaligning action
  • 4.Discussion and conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
  • Appendix
Published online: 15 July 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.128.03sto
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