Normality at the boundary between word-formation and syntax

This paper investigates the notion of normality in the context of the divide between word-formation and syntax. Knowledge about what is normal finds its expression in generic characterizations about kinds (Ducks lay eggs), and we will present evidence that newly formed word-formation products like 'Rotdach' (‘red_roof’), in contrast to their phrasal counterparts, are more inclined to adopt kind readings. The compounds’ affinity to function as names for kinds will be explained on grounds of a pragmatic, manner-based principle. It holds that deviation from the default way of forming a complex expression, i.e., from the phrasal expression, implicates a deviation from the compositional meaning of the complex. Viewed from this grammatical angle, the present paper argues for normality to be implemented in the language system in light of the understanding that morphology produces more marked forms than syntax.