No abstract

No abstract

This paper deals with an issue related to the syntax-morphology interface, namely the comparison of proper name compounds and genitives in German. It has been claimed in the literature that proper name compounds have recently increased in use at the expense of the genitive. For this reason, proper name compounds are sometimes considered as competitors to the genitive. A prerequisite for this assumption is that both constructions are equivalent with respect to meaning and function. The paper examines the relevant properties of both constructions. It is argued that there is no true meaning equivalence between proper name compounds and genitives. However, specific subtypes of proper name compounds and genitives that exhibit a substantial amount of semantic overlap are identified. It is discussed under which circumstances they can be used interchangeably.

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the topics and recent developments in the research on the morphosyntax of proper names. The article reflects on the ways in which and the reasons why proper names may be morphosyntactically different from common nouns. It argues that the distinction between proper names and proper nouns is essential for the discussion of the topic, and it shows that there are considerable differences regarding morphological and syntactic properties both among the various name classes as well as cross-linguistically. In the second part of the paper, selected aspects dealt with in the recent literature are discussed in more detail, including those on the morphological and syntactic properties of proper names and proper nouns, and the specific morphosyntactic constructions proper names and proper nouns can occur in.

No abstract