Abstract
In this chapter, we argue that ellipsis is a phenomenon that directly parallels anaphora, hence providing direct evidence of the concept of context on which natural-language (NL) processing depends. From this perspective, we argue first that, in failing to give due recognition to the interactive and multimodal nature of NL processing, theoretical linguistics has entered a stalemate situation in which no unitary account of ellipsis is possible. The alternative Dynamic Syntax account we provide next, to the contrary, presents ellipsis as a test case for the view that each NL constitutes a set of mechanisms for situated human interaction, with syntax, not a level of representation, but, instead, comprising a set of procedures for incrementally and predictively effecting conceptual structure - NL-strings mappings. The significance of the extended set of so-called “elliptical" phenomena that are examined from this perspective is that they all provide evidence for the seamless integration of NL structures and processing under domain-general action and perception processes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Oxford Handbook of Ellipsis |
| Editors | Jeroen van Craenenbroeck, Tanja Temmerman |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780198712398 |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - Dec 2018 |