Author: Sonia Cristofaro
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company
ISBN: 9027264457
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 442
Book Description
Typological hierarchies are widely perceived as one of the most important results of research on language universals and linguistic diversity. Explanations for typological hierarchies, however, are usually based on the synchronic properties of the patterns described by individual hierarchies, not the actual diachronic processes that give rise to these patterns cross-linguistically. This book aims to explore in what ways the investigation of such processes can further our understanding of typological hierarchies. To this end, diachronic evidence about the origins of several phenomena described by typological hierarchies is discussed for several languages by a number of leading scholars in typology, historical linguistics, and language documentation. This evidence suggests a rethinking of possible explanations for typological hierarchies, as well as the very notion of typological universals in general. For this reason, the book will be of interest not only to the broad typological community, but also historical linguists, cognitive linguists, and psycholinguists.
Typological Hierarchies in Synchrony and Diachrony
Author: Sonia Cristofaro
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company
ISBN: 9027264457
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 442
Book Description
Typological hierarchies are widely perceived as one of the most important results of research on language universals and linguistic diversity. Explanations for typological hierarchies, however, are usually based on the synchronic properties of the patterns described by individual hierarchies, not the actual diachronic processes that give rise to these patterns cross-linguistically. This book aims to explore in what ways the investigation of such processes can further our understanding of typological hierarchies. To this end, diachronic evidence about the origins of several phenomena described by typological hierarchies is discussed for several languages by a number of leading scholars in typology, historical linguistics, and language documentation. This evidence suggests a rethinking of possible explanations for typological hierarchies, as well as the very notion of typological universals in general. For this reason, the book will be of interest not only to the broad typological community, but also historical linguists, cognitive linguists, and psycholinguists.
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company
ISBN: 9027264457
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 442
Book Description
Typological hierarchies are widely perceived as one of the most important results of research on language universals and linguistic diversity. Explanations for typological hierarchies, however, are usually based on the synchronic properties of the patterns described by individual hierarchies, not the actual diachronic processes that give rise to these patterns cross-linguistically. This book aims to explore in what ways the investigation of such processes can further our understanding of typological hierarchies. To this end, diachronic evidence about the origins of several phenomena described by typological hierarchies is discussed for several languages by a number of leading scholars in typology, historical linguistics, and language documentation. This evidence suggests a rethinking of possible explanations for typological hierarchies, as well as the very notion of typological universals in general. For this reason, the book will be of interest not only to the broad typological community, but also historical linguists, cognitive linguists, and psycholinguists.
Sociolinguistic and Typological Perspectives on Language Variation
Author: Silvia Ballarè
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110781166
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 226
Book Description
Linguistic variation, loosely defined as the wholesale processes whereby patterns of language structures exhibit divergent distributions within and across languages, has traditionally been the object of research of at least two branches of linguistics: variationist sociolinguistics and linguistic typology. In spite of their similar research agendas, the two approaches have only rarely converged in the description and interpretation of variation. While a number of studies attempting to address at least aspects of this relationship have appeared in recent years, a principled discussion on how the two disciplines may interact has not yet been carried out in a programmatic way. This volume aims to fill this gap and offers a cross-disciplinary venue for discussing the bridging between sociolinguistic and typological research from various angles, with the ultimate goal of laying out the methodological and conceptual foundations of an integrated research agenda for the study of linguistic variation.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110781166
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 226
Book Description
Linguistic variation, loosely defined as the wholesale processes whereby patterns of language structures exhibit divergent distributions within and across languages, has traditionally been the object of research of at least two branches of linguistics: variationist sociolinguistics and linguistic typology. In spite of their similar research agendas, the two approaches have only rarely converged in the description and interpretation of variation. While a number of studies attempting to address at least aspects of this relationship have appeared in recent years, a principled discussion on how the two disciplines may interact has not yet been carried out in a programmatic way. This volume aims to fill this gap and offers a cross-disciplinary venue for discussing the bridging between sociolinguistic and typological research from various angles, with the ultimate goal of laying out the methodological and conceptual foundations of an integrated research agenda for the study of linguistic variation.
Special Onymic Grammar in Typological Perspective
Author: Thomas Stolz
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3111331970
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 336
Book Description
For the first time place names are made the topic of a cross-linguistic account of morphosyntactic properties which formally distinguish place names from personal names and common nouns. It is shown that the behavior of place names in morphology and syntax frequently disagrees with the rules established for other word classes independent of the language’s genetic affiliation, grammatical structure, and geographic location. Place names boast a grammar of their own. They are candidates for the status of a distinct word class. The special grammar of place names comes frequently to the fore in the domain of spatial relations. This fact is explained with reference to functional notions.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3111331970
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 336
Book Description
For the first time place names are made the topic of a cross-linguistic account of morphosyntactic properties which formally distinguish place names from personal names and common nouns. It is shown that the behavior of place names in morphology and syntax frequently disagrees with the rules established for other word classes independent of the language’s genetic affiliation, grammatical structure, and geographic location. Place names boast a grammar of their own. They are candidates for the status of a distinct word class. The special grammar of place names comes frequently to the fore in the domain of spatial relations. This fact is explained with reference to functional notions.
The Hittite Middle Voice
Author: Guglielmo Inglese
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004432302
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 654
Book Description
Prize winner: Eugenio Coseriu Award (2021) This book offers a new treatment of the middle voice in Hittite. The book features two main parts. In the first part, the author provides an updated synchronic description of the Hittite middle based on the existing typology of voice systems and valency changing operations. Moreover, based on a careful analysis of a chronologically ordered corpus of original Hittite texts, the book offers the first ever diachronic account of the Hittite middle. As Inglese argues, the findings of this book greatly enrich our general knowledge of the diachronic typology of middle voice systems. The second part of the book features a thorough description of more than 100 Hittite verbs in original texts.
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004432302
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 654
Book Description
Prize winner: Eugenio Coseriu Award (2021) This book offers a new treatment of the middle voice in Hittite. The book features two main parts. In the first part, the author provides an updated synchronic description of the Hittite middle based on the existing typology of voice systems and valency changing operations. Moreover, based on a careful analysis of a chronologically ordered corpus of original Hittite texts, the book offers the first ever diachronic account of the Hittite middle. As Inglese argues, the findings of this book greatly enrich our general knowledge of the diachronic typology of middle voice systems. The second part of the book features a thorough description of more than 100 Hittite verbs in original texts.
The Diachrony of Ditransitives
Author: Chiara Fedriani
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110701472
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Book Description
While ample studies exist on ditransitives in various languages, notably from a typological perspective, more work needs to be done on identifying the main processes and factors that trigger and constrain the changes they undergo over time. The goal of this volume is to help fill this gap by bringing together data and information on individual languages that have thus far been left out of the discussion and by expanding our knowledge of already studied linguistic traditions so as to achieve a broader diachronic description. Since one of the distinctive features of ditransitives is their synchronic variability in terms of structural alternation and alignment split, diachronic research can throw up new insights into developmental dynamics that are eminently complementary; namely, on the one hand, the emergence, development and loss of construction alternation and, on the other, the acquisition of new functions over time. The analyses offered in the book yield different and interconnected answers to the general question of how ditransitives change by drawing on different functional principles that play a role in the diachronic reorganization of this dynamic domain and by providing a number of original theoretical suggestions.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110701472
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Book Description
While ample studies exist on ditransitives in various languages, notably from a typological perspective, more work needs to be done on identifying the main processes and factors that trigger and constrain the changes they undergo over time. The goal of this volume is to help fill this gap by bringing together data and information on individual languages that have thus far been left out of the discussion and by expanding our knowledge of already studied linguistic traditions so as to achieve a broader diachronic description. Since one of the distinctive features of ditransitives is their synchronic variability in terms of structural alternation and alignment split, diachronic research can throw up new insights into developmental dynamics that are eminently complementary; namely, on the one hand, the emergence, development and loss of construction alternation and, on the other, the acquisition of new functions over time. The analyses offered in the book yield different and interconnected answers to the general question of how ditransitives change by drawing on different functional principles that play a role in the diachronic reorganization of this dynamic domain and by providing a number of original theoretical suggestions.
Proper Names versus Common Nouns
Author: Javier Caro Reina
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110672626
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
Recent research has shown that proper names morphosyntactically differ from common nouns in many ways. However, little is known about the morphological and syntactic/distributional differences between proper names and common nouns in less known (Non)-Indo-European languages. This volume brings together contributions which explore morphosyntactic phenomena such as case marking, gender assignment rules, definiteness marking, and possessive constructions from a synchronic, diachronic, and typological perspective. The languages surveyed include Austronesian languages, Basque, English, German, Hebrew, and Romance languages. The volume contributes to a better understanding not only of the contrasts between proper names and common nouns, but also of formal contrasts between different proper name classes such as personal names, place names, and others.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110672626
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
Recent research has shown that proper names morphosyntactically differ from common nouns in many ways. However, little is known about the morphological and syntactic/distributional differences between proper names and common nouns in less known (Non)-Indo-European languages. This volume brings together contributions which explore morphosyntactic phenomena such as case marking, gender assignment rules, definiteness marking, and possessive constructions from a synchronic, diachronic, and typological perspective. The languages surveyed include Austronesian languages, Basque, English, German, Hebrew, and Romance languages. The volume contributes to a better understanding not only of the contrasts between proper names and common nouns, but also of formal contrasts between different proper name classes such as personal names, place names, and others.
Antipassive
Author: Katarzyna Janic
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company
ISBN: 9027260265
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 655
Book Description
This book provides a comprehensive treatment of the morpho-syntactic and semantic aspects of the antipassive construction from synchronic, diachronic, and typological perspectives. The nineteen contributions assembled in this volume address a wide range of aspects pertinent to the antipassive construction, such as lexical semantics, the properties of the antipassive markers, as well as the issue of fuzzy boundaries between the antipassive construction and a range of other formally and functionally similar constructions in genealogically and areally diverse languages. Purely synchronically oriented case studies are supplemented by contributions that shed light on the diachronic development of the antipassive construction and the antipassive markers. The book should be of central interest to many scholars, in particular to those working in the field of language typology, semantics, syntax, and historical linguists, as well as to specialists of the language families discussed in the individual contributions.
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company
ISBN: 9027260265
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 655
Book Description
This book provides a comprehensive treatment of the morpho-syntactic and semantic aspects of the antipassive construction from synchronic, diachronic, and typological perspectives. The nineteen contributions assembled in this volume address a wide range of aspects pertinent to the antipassive construction, such as lexical semantics, the properties of the antipassive markers, as well as the issue of fuzzy boundaries between the antipassive construction and a range of other formally and functionally similar constructions in genealogically and areally diverse languages. Purely synchronically oriented case studies are supplemented by contributions that shed light on the diachronic development of the antipassive construction and the antipassive markers. The book should be of central interest to many scholars, in particular to those working in the field of language typology, semantics, syntax, and historical linguists, as well as to specialists of the language families discussed in the individual contributions.
The Algonquian Inverse
Author: Will Oxford
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192699873
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 359
Book Description
This book serves as a definitive reference for the inverse morphology of the Algonquian languages, which has attracted much attention in typological and theoretical linguistics. Will Oxford describes the patterning of inverse morphology across the Algonquian family and presents a framework for understanding the structure and function of the Algonquian inverse that is empirically driven and typologically grounded. He presents data from all documented Algonquian languages and considers not only the morphology of the inverse construction but also its syntax and pragmatics, giving equal weight to diachronic, typological, functional, and formal perspectives. From the integration of these perspectives, a simple and coherent understanding of the nature of the inverse emerges. The key proposal is that the inverse is "deep" in some contexts and "shallow" in others. In interactions between two third persons, the inverse is a "deep" patient voice construction that inverts the canonical morphology, syntax, and pragmatics of a transitive clause. In interactions between a third person and a first or second person, the inverse is a "shallow" hierarchical agreement pattern implemented through a spurious use of patient voice morphology, inverting the canonical morphology of a transitive clause but having no effect on syntax or pragmatics. This split analysis, which reflects the likely diachronic development of the Algonquian inverse, is argued to have various benefits, including the resolution of a longstanding controversy over the syntactic status of the inverse.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192699873
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 359
Book Description
This book serves as a definitive reference for the inverse morphology of the Algonquian languages, which has attracted much attention in typological and theoretical linguistics. Will Oxford describes the patterning of inverse morphology across the Algonquian family and presents a framework for understanding the structure and function of the Algonquian inverse that is empirically driven and typologically grounded. He presents data from all documented Algonquian languages and considers not only the morphology of the inverse construction but also its syntax and pragmatics, giving equal weight to diachronic, typological, functional, and formal perspectives. From the integration of these perspectives, a simple and coherent understanding of the nature of the inverse emerges. The key proposal is that the inverse is "deep" in some contexts and "shallow" in others. In interactions between two third persons, the inverse is a "deep" patient voice construction that inverts the canonical morphology, syntax, and pragmatics of a transitive clause. In interactions between a third person and a first or second person, the inverse is a "shallow" hierarchical agreement pattern implemented through a spurious use of patient voice morphology, inverting the canonical morphology of a transitive clause but having no effect on syntax or pragmatics. This split analysis, which reflects the likely diachronic development of the Algonquian inverse, is argued to have various benefits, including the resolution of a longstanding controversy over the syntactic status of the inverse.
Usage-Based Studies in Modern Hebrew
Author: Ruth A. Berman
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company
ISBN: 9027262063
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 702
Book Description
The goal of the volume is to shed fresh light on Modern Hebrew from perspectives aimed at readers interested in the domains of general linguistics, typology, and Semitic studies. Starting with chapters that provide background information on the evolution and sociolinguistic setting of the language, the bulk of the book is devoted to usage-based studies of the morphology, lexicon, and syntax of current Hebrew. Based primarily on original analyses of authentic spoken and online materials, these studies reflect varied theoretical frames-of-reference that are largely model-neutral in approach. To this end, the book presents a functionally motivated, dynamic approach to actual usage, rather than providing strictly structuralist or formal characterizations of particular linguistic systems. Such a perspective is particularly important in the case of a language undergoing accelerated processes of change, in which the gap between prescriptive dictates of the Hebrew Language Establishment and the actual usage of educated, literate but non-expert speaker-writers of current Hebrew is constantly on the rise.
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company
ISBN: 9027262063
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 702
Book Description
The goal of the volume is to shed fresh light on Modern Hebrew from perspectives aimed at readers interested in the domains of general linguistics, typology, and Semitic studies. Starting with chapters that provide background information on the evolution and sociolinguistic setting of the language, the bulk of the book is devoted to usage-based studies of the morphology, lexicon, and syntax of current Hebrew. Based primarily on original analyses of authentic spoken and online materials, these studies reflect varied theoretical frames-of-reference that are largely model-neutral in approach. To this end, the book presents a functionally motivated, dynamic approach to actual usage, rather than providing strictly structuralist or formal characterizations of particular linguistic systems. Such a perspective is particularly important in the case of a language undergoing accelerated processes of change, in which the gap between prescriptive dictates of the Hebrew Language Establishment and the actual usage of educated, literate but non-expert speaker-writers of current Hebrew is constantly on the rise.
The Languages and Linguistics of Indigenous North America
Author: Carmen Dagostino
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110712814
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 922
Book Description
This handbook provides broad coverage of the languages indigenous to North America, with special focus on typologically interesting features and areal characteristics, surveys of current work, and topics of particular importance to communities. The volume is divided into two major parts: subfields of linguistics and family sketches. The subfields include those that are customarily addressed in discussions of North American languages (sounds and sound structure, words, sentences), as well as many that have received somewhat less attention until recently (tone, prosody, sociolinguistic variation, directives, information structure, discourse, meaning, language over space and time, conversation structure, evidentiality, pragmatics, verbal art, first and second language acquisition, archives, evolving notions of fieldwork). Family sketches cover major language families and isolates and highlight topics of special value to communities engaged in work on language maintenance, documentation, and revitalization.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110712814
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 922
Book Description
This handbook provides broad coverage of the languages indigenous to North America, with special focus on typologically interesting features and areal characteristics, surveys of current work, and topics of particular importance to communities. The volume is divided into two major parts: subfields of linguistics and family sketches. The subfields include those that are customarily addressed in discussions of North American languages (sounds and sound structure, words, sentences), as well as many that have received somewhat less attention until recently (tone, prosody, sociolinguistic variation, directives, information structure, discourse, meaning, language over space and time, conversation structure, evidentiality, pragmatics, verbal art, first and second language acquisition, archives, evolving notions of fieldwork). Family sketches cover major language families and isolates and highlight topics of special value to communities engaged in work on language maintenance, documentation, and revitalization.