Particle topicalization and German clause structure

Abstract In this paper, we provide a comprehensive account of the phenomenon of topicalizing verb particles in German. Based on the data we discuss, we argue that only a version of the Split-CP hypothesis for the German clause can account for the observations. Section 1 critiques previous accounts of particle topicalization and discusses some properties of particles that are potentially relevant to topicalization. We conclude that a particle’s ability to be topicalized depends more on its ability to be contrasted with other particles than on the semantic autonomy of the particle per se. Sectio... Mehr ...