Page 72 - Makino,Tsutusi.DictionaryOfIntermediateJGrammar

SPECIAL TOPICS IN INTERMEDIATE JAPANESE GRAMMAR
(48a) is ambiguous because {S / Adj 1 N1 no} can modify either Nz or "N2 no
N3." (48b) is ambiguous because {S / Adj / N1 no) can modify only Nz or it
can modify both N2 and N3. (48c) is ambiguous because N3 can be modified
either by "N2 no" or by "N1 to N2 no." In these cases, the ambiguity can
he resolved either by context or by the reader's knowledge of the world. (49)
provides examples of the situation in (48a).

((1) difficult homework in Japanese [X modifies "Y a) Z," i.e.,
X ma)]; (2) homework in Japanese, a language which is
-
difficult [X modifies Y and "X Y a) " modifies Z, i.e.,
x Q,l)
0
:+:+
3L3 iit &L:+
b. H%K& b YBRa) 9R
--
X Y Z
((1) Y High School's branch campus which is in Kyoto [X mod-
ifies "Y a) Z," i.e., X ma); (2) A branch campus of Y
High School, which is in Kyoto [X modifies Y and "X Y a)"
modifies Z, i.e., fl a>])
a)
The interpretation of (49a) depends on the context and the interpretation of
(49b) depends of the reader's knowledge of Y High School's location.
The ambiguity in (48b) can be illustrated by (50).

((1) the development of new materials and the marketing of those
materials [X modifies Y and Z, i.e., X m]]; (2) the development
of new materials (for something) and the marketing (of that thing) [X
modifies only Y, i.e., a
k
Z])
Whether (50) is interpreted as (1) or (2) depends on the context in which this
sentence is used.

(5 1) provides examples of (48c).