Current research projects

SFB 1718 Project A2 (Kaup & Maienborn): Shared Prior Background Within Common Ground: Semantic vs. World Knowledge (2025-)

Project A2 investigates the role of implicit linguistic and world knowledge within common ground (CG), focusing on the differing at-issue potential of selectional restrictions (markers of linguistic knowledge) and common factual or stereotypical knowledge (markers of world knowledge). A2 hypothesizes that examining these distinctions through the lens of CG is crucial to resolving the long-standing challenge of clearly delineating them. Our experiments will address semantic conflicts (e.g., violations of selectional restrictions such as Fears are liquid) and conceptual conflicts (e.g., violations of world knowledge such as Biscuits are liquid). By analyzing how these conflicts interact with various CG management devices, we aim to deepen our understanding of CG’s cognitive architecture.

DFG Netzwerk "i-Funktionen sprachlicher Zeichen im Kontext der Sprachreflexion“ 

(Koordination: Björn Rothstein & Helga Gese; 2024-)

Closed research projects

SFB 833 Project A1 (Maienborn): The semantics and pragmatics of combinatory meaning variation (2009-2021)

SFB 833 Project B7 (Ulrich & Maienborn): Language processing and temporal cognition: Spatial foundation of time-reference in linguistic expressions (2009-2021)

SFB 441 Project B18 (Maienborn): Grammar and pragmatics of the adjectival passive (2006-2008)

ZAS Project P9 (Maienborn): Semantics of the C-Domain. Positions and interpretations for sentence topichood (2001-2007)