Author: Bernd Heine
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192871498
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 481
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Book Description
This book explores a domain of discourse processing referred to as 'interactive grammar', based on an analysis of grammatical descriptions of over 100 languages spoken across the world. While much previous work has treated interactive grammar as a fairly marginal part of language, Bernd Heine describes it here as a distinct category that contrasts with sentence grammar both in its functions and its structural behavior. He identifies ten types of interactives - i.e. extra-clausal expressions of linguistic discourse: attention signals, directives, discourse markers, evaluatives, ideophones, interjections, response elicitors, response signals, social formulae, and vocatives. The analysis reveals that speakers make use of two contrasting modes for structuring their discourses, both of which are needed for successful communication: one is sentence grammar, which has a propositional format and analytic organization; the other is interactive grammar, which has a holophrastic organization and a focus on social communication. While the argument structure of sentence grammar is shaped by the propositional format of sentences, that of interactive grammar is shaped by the indexical nature of the situation of discourse. This distinction shows interesting correlations both with findings from neurolinguistic studies on differential activity in the two hemispheres of the human brain, and with observations from social psychology on the differences between systems of reasoning and judgment.
Author: Russell S Tomlin
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 131793380X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 323
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Book Description
This book examines the frequencies of the six possible basic word (or constituent) orders (SOV, SVO, VSO, VOS, OSV, OVS) provides a typologically grounded explanation for those frequencies in terms of three independent, functional principles of linguistic organization. From a database of nearly 1,000 languages and their basic constituent orders, a sample of 400 languages was produced that is statistically representative of both the genetic and areal distributions of the world’s languages. This sample reveals the following relative frequencies (in order from high to low) of basic constituent order types: (1) SOV and SVO, (2) VSO, (3) VOS and OVS, (4) OSV. It is argued that these relative frequencies can be explained to be the result of the possible interactions of three fundamental functional principles of linguistic organization. Principle 1, the thematic information principle, specifies that initial position is the cross-linguistically favoured position for clause-level thematic information. Principle 2, the verb-object bonding principle, describes the cross-linguistic tendency for a transitive verb and its object to form a more tightly integrated unit, syntactically and semantically, than does a transitive verb and its subject. Principle 3, the animated principle, describes the cross-linguistic tendency for semantic arguments which are either more animate or more agentive to occur earlier in the clause. Each principle is motivated independently of the others, drawing on cross-linguistic data from more than 80 genetically and typologically diverse languages. Given these three independently motivated functional principles, it is argued that the relative frequency of basic constituent order types is due to the tendency for the three principles to be maximally realized in the world’s languages. SOV and SVO languages are typologically most frequent because such basic orders reflect all three principles. The remaining orders occur less frequently because they reflect fewer of the principles. The 1,000-language database and the genetic and areal classification frames are published as appendices to the volume.
Author: Brian Davis
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319414984
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 142
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Book Description
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 5th International Workshop on Controlled Natural Language, CNL 2016, held in Aberdeen, UK, in July 2016. The 11 full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 15 submissions. The topics range from natural languages which are controlled, to controlled languages with a natural language flavour; and from more theoretical results to interfaces, reasoning engines and real-life applications of CNLs.
Author: Great Britain. Colonial Office
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Uganda
Languages : en
Pages : 378
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Book Description
Author: Norbert Cyffer
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing
ISBN: 9027206686
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 378
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Book Description
This volume deals with issues on negation patterns in languages of West Africa and the adjacent north and east. The first aim is to provide data on various aspects of negation in African languages. Although the topics addressed here reflect a great diversity of negation patterns, the following typological features have been identified to be prominent in our region: conflict or even incompatibility between negation and focus, use of other indirect means of negating non-indicative mood (covered under the term Prohibitive ), different negation patterns in different Tense-Aspect-Moods (e.g. Imperfective vs. Perfective), lack of negative indefinites, and disjunctive negative marking (often referred to as double negation ). The articles presented here show that areal factors have played a significant role in the development of negation strategies in the languages of West Africa and beyond. On the other hand genetic factors seem to be less prominent."
Author: Jonathan Culpeper
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000819523
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 532
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Book Description
Introducing Linguistics brings together the work of scholars working at the cutting-edge of the field of linguistics, creating an accessible and wide-ranging introductory level textbook for newcomers to this area of study. The textbook: • Provides broad coverage of the field, comprising five key areas: language structures, mind and society, applications, methods, and issues; • Presents the latest research in an accessible way; • Incorporates examples from a wide variety of languages – from isiZulu to Washo – throughout; • Treats sign language in numerous chapters as yet another language, rather than a ‘special case’ confined to its own chapter; • Includes recommended readings and resource materials, and is supplemented by a companion website. This textbook goes beyond description and theory, giving weight to application and methodology. It is authored by a team of leading scholars from the world-renowned Lancaster University department, who have drawn on both their research and extensive classroom experience. Aimed at undergraduate students of linguistics, Introducing Linguistics is the ideal textbook to introduce students to the field of linguistics.
Author: Derek Nurse
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199239290
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 422
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Book Description
Derek Nurse looks at variations in the form and function of tense and aspect in Bantu, a branch of Niger-Congo, the world's largest language phylum. His account is based on data from more than 200 Bantu languages and varieties, a representative sample of which is freely available on the publisher's website.
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : English language
Languages : en
Pages : 240
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Book Description
Author: Ralph W. Fasold
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 131606185X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 857
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Book Description
A clear and up-to-date introduction to linguistics. This best-selling textbook addresses the full scope of language, from the traditional subjects of structural linguistics (relating to sound, form, meaning and language change) to the more specialised subjects of contextual linguistics (including discourse, dialect variation, language and culture, and the politics of language). There are also separate chapters on language and the brain, computational linguistics, writing, and first and second language learning. Extensively classroom-tested, this second edition has been revised to further support student learning, with numerous new examples, exercises and textboxes to model and contextualise key concepts. Updated throughout to incorporate contemporary issues and events, it includes worked examples of phonological analyses and multiple examples of a variety of World Englishes. A rich collection of online resources completes the learning package.
Author: Great Britain. Colonial Office
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Uganda
Languages : en
Pages : 188
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Book Description
