Guide in PDF format

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Grammar and Interfaces in Catalan

Code: 45501
Credits: 5

2026/2027

Degree programme	Type	Course
Advanced Studies in Catalan Language and Literature	OP	1

Contact lecturer

Name :: Jaume Mateu Fontanals
Email :: jaume.mateu@uab.cat

Teaching staff

: Ana Bartra Kaufmann

Teaching staff (external to UAB)

: Jordi Fortuny

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

Students should have a basic knowledge on the syntax of Catalan and should be able to read scientific papers in English.

Objectives

Students should be interested in the study of Catalan grammar, more specifically, in the study of grammatical phenomena related to the lexicon-syntax interface, on the one hand, and to ambiguity phenomena, on the other.

Learning outcomes

CA14 (Develop studies on interface phenomena between different components of grammar.) Develop studies on interface phenomena between different components of grammar.
CA15 (Conduct analyses of phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic linguistic phenomena in a study related to the Catalan language.) Conduct analyses of phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic linguistic phenomena in a study related to the Catalan language.
KA16 (Identify the grammatical components involved in the different linguistic phenomena.) Identify the grammatical components involved in the different linguistic phenomena.
KA17 (Categorise the different elements of a study that intervene in linguistic phenomena.) Categorise the different elements of a study that intervene in linguistic phenomena.
KA18 (Relate phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic linguistic phenomena of the Catalan language to each other.) Relate phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic linguistic phenomena of the Catalan language to each other.
SA20 (Apply the various theoretical frameworks for the treatment of linguistic data to the study of the Catalan language.) Apply the various theoretical frameworks for the treatment of linguistic data to the study of the Catalan language.
SA21 (Relate linguistic phenomena of Catalan with phenomena of other languages.) Relate linguistic phenomena of Catalan with phenomena of other languages.
SA22 (Compare the linguistic properties of different geographical varieties of the Catalan language.) Compare the linguistic properties of different geographical varieties of the Catalan language.

Phenomena of the lexicon-syntax interface in Catalan (Jaume Mateu and Anna Bartra)

1. Syntax and lexical aspect of verbal idioms

1.1 Two types of verbal idioms

1.2 Semantic compositionality and syntactic flexibility in verbal idioms

1.3 Lexical aspect and syntactic argument structure of verbal idioms

2. Syntax of verbal argument structure

2.1 Accusative alternation with the Catalan verbs pregar, perdonar, ensenyar, manllevar, etc.

2.2 The accusative/dative argument alternation in structures with psychological verbs

2.3 Syntactic argument structures with contact verbs

Ambiguity and interface requirements (Jordi Fortuny)

1. Linguistic ambiguity: general aspects

1.1 First approach

1.2 Basic examples

1.3 Ambiguity as a problem

2. The minimalist program and interfaces

2.1 Methodological minimalism and substantive minimalism

2.2 The architecture of the linguistic faculty

2.3 Imperfections

2.4 The strongest minimalist thesis

2.5 Exploring ambiguity within minimalism

3. Linguistic indeterminacy

3.1 Ambiguity

3.2 Generality of meaning

3. Sensitivity to context

3.4 Vagueness

4. Morphologically based phenomena

4.1 Polysemy

4.2 Homonymy

4.3 Syncretism

5. Syntactically grounded phenomena

5.1 Constituent ambiguity

5.2 Transfer ambiguity

5.3 Scope ambiguity

5.4 Ambiguity of constituents and prosody

5.5 Ambiguity and coordination

Learning activities and methodology

Title	Hours	ECTS	Learning outcomes
Teaching	34	1.36	KA16, KA18, SA21
Exam preparation	17	0.68	SA20, SA22
Research	30	1.2	CA14, CA15, KA17

The course will combine lectures on the lexicon-syntax and syntax-semantics-pragmatics interfaces with written exercises and oral presentations.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title	Weight	Hours	ECTS	Learning outcomes
(i) Exercises, (ii) oral presentation, and (iii) attendance and participation at lectures	40% + 40% + 20%	44	1.76	CA14, CA15, KA16, KA17, KA18, SA20, SA21, SA22

The assessment will be based on the following items:

Exercises: 40%
Oral presentation: 40%
Attendance and participation at lectures: 20%

Bibliography

Bartra-Kaufmann, Anna (2005). "Accusative Alternation in Old and Modern Romance". In Montserrat Batllori, Maria-Lluïsa Hernanz, Carme Picallo & Francesc Roca (eds.). Grammaticalization and Parametric Variation, 124-146. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Bartra-Kaufmann, Anna (2025). "Apunts sobre la complementació del verb manllevar". Estudis de llengua i literatura catalanes LXXIX. Miscel·lània Joaquim Rafel, 5-29. Publicacions de l’Abadia de Montserrat.

Brochhagen, Thomas & Gemma Boleda. (2022). “When do languages use the same word for different meanings? The Goldilocks principle in colexification”. Cognition 226. 105179.

Cabré, Teresa & Jaume Mateu (1998). “Estructura gramatical i normativa lingüística: a propòsit dels verbs psicològics en català”. Quaderns. Revista de traducció 2: 65-81.

Cuervo, M. Cristina (2010). "Against ditransitivity". Probus 22(2): 151-180.

Fortuny, Jordi (2024). “Structural ambiguity and the architecture of language”. Studia Linguistica 78(1): 35-63.

Fortuny, Jordi, Pau Francesch, Neus Nogué & Lluís Payrató. (2025). L’ambigüitat: nous camins, velles fronteres. Barcelona: Edicions UB.

Glasbey, Sheila (2007). “Aspectual composition in idioms”. In Louis de Saussure et al. (eds.). Recent advances in the syntax and semantics of tense, aspect, and modality. 71–87. Berlin: De Gruyter.

Larson, Richard K. (1988). "On the double object construction". Linguistic Inquiry 19(3): 335-391.

Mateu, Jaume (2020). “Lexicalized Syntax: Phraseology". In Joan A. Argenter & Jens Lüdtke (eds.). Manual of Catalan Linguistics. Berlin: De Gruyter.

Pineda, Anna i Jaume Mateu (eds.) (2020). Dative constructions in Romance and beyond. Berlin: Language Science Press.

Rosselló, Joana (2002/2008). “El SV, I: Verb i arguments verbals”. In Joan Solà et al. (dir.). Gramàtica del català contemporani, vol. II, chap. 13. Barcelona: Empúries.

Royo-Bieto, Carles (2018). Alternança acusatiu/datiu i flexibilitat semàntica i sintàctica dels verbs psicològics catalans. Doctoral dissertation, Universitat de Barcelona. https://hdl.handle.net/10803/523541

Wasow, Thomas, Amy Perfors & David Beaver. 2005. “The Puzzle of Ambiguity”. In Orhan Orgun & Peter Sells (eds.). Morphology and the Web of Grammar. Stanford: CSLI Publications.

Software

Not applicable.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching	Group	Language	Semester	Shift
(TEm) Theory (master)	1	Catalan	first semester	afternoon