'Only to forget it in the fridge' – On the semantics of German 'nur-um' clauses

2025/09/22 by Müller, David

paper · doi:10.18148/sub/2024.v29.1264

Abstract

This paper presents a compositional account for the meaning of German Telic clauses with nur ‘only’ (Hugo hat einen Nudelsalat gemacht, nur um ihn im Kühlschrank zu vergessen. ‘Hugo made a pasta salad only to forget it in the fridge.’) I argue that the meaning of ‘unexpected outcome’ arises compositionally from (i) a mirative meaning for only and (ii) the connective um expressing an outcome. The account raises question about the meaning of Rationale clause connectives like German um or French pour.

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