The DFG-funded research project “At-issueness as propositional prominence” has begun its work. 

Within the three-year projec, postdoc Maik Thalmann and doctoral researcher Conglei Xu, together with Daniel Gutzmann and Mercator Fellow Robert Henderson (University of Arizona, Tucson), will investigate the hypothesis that the notion of “at-issueness” established in theoretical semantics and pragmatics—i.e. the idea that a piece of content is the “subject” of discursive negotiation—can be reduced to the notion of graded prominence. In addition to theoretical modeling, the project will in particular conduct numerous experimental studies. Student assistant Malte Sternik supports the team.

Further information at https://www.sprachsystem.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gls/projekte/at-issueness-as-propositional-prominence.html.de