Differential object marking in Mongolian

Abstract

In this paper, I will deal with the phenomenon of Differential Object Marking (DOM) in Mongolian. In this language some direct objects are overtly case marked and others not. In other languages that also exhibit this phenomenon different semantic and pragmatic factors have been identified which trigger it. In this paper I will try to give answers to the following two questions: (i) how relevant are these factors for DOM in Mongolian and (ii) do other factors play a role as well. The discussion is primarily based on my own native speaker intuition. Some results of an empirical survey, which was constructed to clarify some unclear cases, will also be discussed.