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Molly Diesing

Professor

(PhD, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 1990)
Department of Linguistics, 211 Morrill Hall, md20@cornell.edu, 255-8635

Research

My main research interests are syntax and the interface between syntax and semantics. My primary language focus has been the Germanic languages, most notably German and Yiddish. Some of the empirical issues I have concentrated on in recent syntactic work have been argument structure, clause structure, and parameters determining cross-linguistic word order variation. My work on the syntax/semantics interface centers on the issue of determining the role that syntax plays in deriving the semantic interpretations of noun phrases (including quantifier phrases and pronominals). Among some of the specific issues I'm interested in are syntax/semantics interactions in various word order and extraction phenomena, and the syntax and semantics of aspect. More recently I have been working with my colleague Draga Zec on clitics in South Slavic languages.

Graduate Fields Represented: Linguistics, Cognitive Studies

Teaching

I teach both general linguistics courses and courses in syntax and semantics.

Lower-level undergraduate courses Upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses
Linguistics 1101: Introduction to Linguistics Linguistics 4403-4404: Syntax I, II
Linguistics 2241/JWST 2271: Yiddish Linguistics Linguistics 3303: Introduction to Syntax
Linguistics 3304: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics
Linguistics 4421: Semantics I

Advanced seminars in syntax, the syntax-semantics interface, Germanic syntax

Selected Publications

(2005) "Some Remarks on Fox and Pesetsky: Cyclic Linearization of Syntactic Structure. Theoretical Linguistics 31.1, 127-136.

(2005) "The Upper Functional Domain in Yiddish", in Werner Abraham (ed.) Focus on Germanic Typology. [Studia Typologica 6] Berlin Akademieverlag, 195-209.

(2003) "On the Nature of Multiple Fronting in Yiddish", in Cedric Boeckx and Kleanthes Grohman (eds.) Multiple Fronting, John Benjamins, 51-76.

(2003) "Multiple Multiple Questions", in Andrew Carnie, Heidi Harley and Mary Willie (eds.) Formal Approaches to Function in Grammar, John Benjamins, 135-153.

(2000) "Aspect in Yiddish The Semantics of an Inflectional Head", Natural Language Semantics. 8.3, 231-253.

(1999) "Comments on Cardinaletti and Starke." In Henk van Riemsdijk (eds.) The Typology of European Languages, Volume 8: Clitics in the Languages of Europe. Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin 243-249.

(1998) "Light Verbs and the Syntax of Aspect in Yiddish", The Journal of Comparative Germanic Linguistics, 1.2, 119-156.

(1997) "Yiddish VP Order and the Typology of Object Movement." Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 15.2, 369-427.

(1996) "Semantic Variables and Object Shift." In S. D. Epstein and H. Thráinsson (eds.) Studies in Comparative Germanic Syntax, Volume II (Studies in Natural Language and Linguistic Theory), Kluwer Academic Publishers, 66-84.

(1995) "Distributing Arguments." [with Eloise Jelinek] Natural Language Semantics 3.2, 123-176.

(1992) Indefinites. The MIT Press (Linguistic Inquiry Monograph 20).

(1990) "Verb Movement and the Subject Position in Yiddish," in Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 8.1, 41-79.