Syntax: An Introduction, Volume 1This new edition of Syntax: A functional-typological introduction is at many points radically revised. In the previous edition (1984) the author deliberately chose to de-emphasize the more formal aspects of syntactic structure, in favor of a more comprehensive treatment of the semantic and pragmatic correlates of syntactic structure. With hindsight the author now finds the de-emphasis of the formal properties a somewhat regrettable choice, since it creates the false impression that one could somehow be a functionalist without being at the same time a structuralist. To redress the balance, explicit treatment is given to the core formal properties of syntactic constructions, such as constituency and hierarchy (phrase structure), grammatical relations and relational control, clause union, finiteness and governed constructions. At the same time, the cognitive and communicative underpinning of grammatical universals are further elucidated and underscored, and the interplay between grammar, cognition and neurology is outlined. Also the relevant typological database is expanded, now exploring in greater precision the bounds of syntactic diversity. Lastly, Syntax treats synchronic-typological diversity more explicitly as the dynamic by-product of diachronic development or grammaticalization. In so doing a parallel is drawn between linguistic diversity and diachrony on the one hand and biological diversity and evolution on the other. It is then suggested that as in biology synchronic universals of grammar are exercised and instantiated primarily as constraints on development, and are thus merely the apparent by-products of universal constraints on grammaticalization. |
Contents
1 | |
Chapter 2 The lexicon | 43 |
Chapter 3 Simple verbal clauses and argument structure | 105 |
Chapter 4 Grammatical relations and casemarking systems | 173 |
Chapter 5 Word order | 233 |
Chapter 6 Tense aspect and modality I | 285 |
Chapter 7 Tense aspect and modality II | 337 |
Chapter 8 Negation | 369 |
Chapter 9 Referential coherence I | 399 |
Chapter 10 Referential coherence II | 437 |
479 | |
493 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
adjectives adverbs affirmative affixes anaphoric pronouns aspect auxiliaries Bantu Bemba case-marking Chapter child classifiers clausal clause-types clitic cognitive coherence complement clause complex consider constructions context contrast dative defined definite diachronic direct object discourse English episodic memory epistemic ergative ergative languages event example find finite first full-NP functional Givon grammatical aspect grammatical relations grammaticalization head noun illustration imperfective aspect indefinite inflections intransitive Iohn irrealis languages locative main clause manipulation marked markedness marker Mary modality verbs modifiers morphemes morphology negation negative nominal non-referring noted earlier noun phrase object agreement object pronouns obligatory OV language passive patient perfect pragmatic predictable prefix pronominal agreement propositional prototype realis reference referential reflects Rel-clause s/he sandwich scope semantic roles simple clauses Spanish specific structure Subj subjunctive suffix syntactic temporal topical transitive verbs types typology Uto-Aztecan verbal woman word-order zero