Semi-insubordinate dat-constructions in Dutch

Abstract

Abstract This paper discusses one subtype of semi-insubordination in Dutch, viz. adverbial and adjectival semi-insubordinate dat-constructions (e.g. Misschien/Leuk dat hij komt ‘Maybe/nice that he comes’). These constructions display an unusual syntactic status in that they consist of a (formally) subordinate dat-clause which is preceded by just one adverb or adjective, instead of a full matrix clause. In this study, I will outline the semantic, structural and functional properties of semi-insubordinate dat-constructions by reviewing previous accounts of this phenomenon against empirical corpus data. The data show that there are basically two types of initial elements in semi-insubordinate dat-constructions: evaluative and discursive ones. Both subtypes challenge traditional syntactic analyses in that they extend beyond the sentence level: they represent syntactically independent units, but pragmatically they are highly dependent on prior discourse. It will therefore be argued that it is essential to include aspects of discourse organization in the analysis of semi-insubordinate dat-constructions.