From Discourse Process to Grammatical Construction

From Discourse Process to Grammatical Construction PDF Author: Ronald Geluykens
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing
ISBN: 9027285918
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 197

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Book Description
This study deals with interactional processes in conversational discourse, and the way they may get 'syntacticized' into grammatical constructions. It investigates the link between discourse function and syntactic form, and the ways in which grammatical form is a reflection on communicative function, through examining the communicative functions of Left-Dislocation in English. The investigation is corpus-based, and focuses on spontaneous conversation, but other discourse types are also taken into account. The overall perspective is resolutely empirical, and preconceptions about the possible functions of Left-Dislocation are avoided. Contents 1. Theoretical preliminaries; 2. Referent-introduction (1): interaction; 3. Referent-introduction (2): recoverability; 4. Referent-introduction (3): topicality; 5. Other functions of LD; 6. Prosodic aspects of LD; 7. LD in other discourse types; 8. A broader perspecitive; 9. General conclusion; Notes, Appendices, References, Subject and author indices.

From Discourse Process to Grammatical Construction

From Discourse Process to Grammatical Construction PDF Author: Ronald Geluykens
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing
ISBN: 9027285918
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 197

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Book Description
This study deals with interactional processes in conversational discourse, and the way they may get 'syntacticized' into grammatical constructions. It investigates the link between discourse function and syntactic form, and the ways in which grammatical form is a reflection on communicative function, through examining the communicative functions of Left-Dislocation in English. The investigation is corpus-based, and focuses on spontaneous conversation, but other discourse types are also taken into account. The overall perspective is resolutely empirical, and preconceptions about the possible functions of Left-Dislocation are avoided. Contents 1. Theoretical preliminaries; 2. Referent-introduction (1): interaction; 3. Referent-introduction (2): recoverability; 4. Referent-introduction (3): topicality; 5. Other functions of LD; 6. Prosodic aspects of LD; 7. LD in other discourse types; 8. A broader perspecitive; 9. General conclusion; Notes, Appendices, References, Subject and author indices.

Discourse and Pragmatics in Functional Grammar

Discourse and Pragmatics in Functional Grammar PDF Author: John H. Connolly
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 3110812231
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 249

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Book Description
The contents of this volume are a selection from the papers given at the Sixth International Conference on Functional Grammar (ICFG), which was held in York, at the University College of Ripon and York St John, from 18 to 22 August, 1994. Functional Grammar as understood in the ICFGs and in this volume is the linguistic model as proposed by Simon Dik, and to date most extensively described and discussed in Dik (1989). The indebtedness of the FG-community to Simon Dik, who died six months after the conference was held, is great indeed. The editors hope that this volume is a fitting tribute to his work.

Constructions and Language Change

Constructions and Language Change PDF Author: Alexander Bergs
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 3110211750
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
Studies in diachronic linguistics increasingly acknowledge that linguistic change is highly context-dependent and somehow tied to constructions as linguistic units. This is the first volume to investigate the role of constructions and the potential of constructional approaches in linguistic change. The contributions in this volume comprise both theoretical and empirical studies, all of which are accessible for a general audience. While some contributions explicitly aim at comparing and unifying concepts from both traditional grammatical theories and recent construction grammar approaches, others offer detailed case studies of exemplary problems from a constructional point of view. The papers offer a cross-linguistic perspective and deal with a number of different language families, ranging from Germanic to Austronesian.

Syntax in the Making

Syntax in the Making PDF Author: Marja-Liisa Helasvuo
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing
ISBN: 9027298068
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 190

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Book Description
Research on the interplay between language structure and language use has shown that grammar is shaped, maintained, and modified by language use. In this view, then, grammar is not seen as existing apart from language use, but rather as a set of recurrent, grammaticized patterns of discourse. This book focuses on syntactic structuring in Finnish from the viewpoint of language use. The author sets out to study syntactic structures in their local contexts in order to discover the more global patterns and constraints on the use of these structures. The coding strategies point to the clause core as the locus of syntactic structuring: this is where syntactic relations emerge most clearly. It is shown that the key to understanding the coding of the core syntactic relations is the category of person. The clause core also shows strong intonational unity as it is most often presented in one intonation unit. Furthermore, analysis of spoken discourse shows the robustness of the category of noun phrase, both as a clausal constituent and as a free syntactic unit, the free NP.

Current Approaches to Syntax

Current Approaches to Syntax PDF Author: András Kertész
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110538377
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 761

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Book Description
Even though the range of phenomena syntactic theories intend to account for is basically the same, the large number of current approaches to syntax shows how differently these phenomena can be interpreted, described, and explained. The goal of the volume is to probe into the question of how exactly these frameworks differ and what if anything they have in common. Descriptions of a sample of current approaches to syntax are presented by their major practitioners (Part I) followed by their metatheoretical underpinnings (Part II). Given that the goal is to facilitate a systematic comparison among the approaches, a checklist of issues was given to the contributors to address. The main headings are Data, Goals, Descriptive Tools, and Criteria for Evaluation. The chapters are structured uniformly allowing an item-by-item survey across the frameworks. The introduction lays out the parameters along which syntactic frameworks must be the same and how they may differ and a final paper draws some conclusions about similarities and differences. The volume is of interest to descriptive linguists, theoreticians of grammar, philosophers of science, and studies of the cognitive science of science.

Functional Grammar and Verbal Interaction

Functional Grammar and Verbal Interaction PDF Author: Michael Hannay
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing
ISBN: 9027230471
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 323

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Book Description
Functional Grammar (FG) as set out by Simon Dik is the ambitious combination of a functionalist approach to the study of language with a consistent formalization of the underlying structures which it recognizes as relevant. The present volume represents the attempts made within the FG framework to expand the theory so as to cover a wider empirical domain than is usual for highly formalized linguistic theories, namely that of written and spoken discourse, while retaining its methodological precision. The book covers an array of phenomena, both from monologue and from dialogue material, relating to discourse structure, speaker aims and goals, action theory, the flow of information, illocutionary force, modality, etc. The central question underlying most of the contributions concerns the relation between, and the division of labour between the existing grammatical module of FG on the one hand, and a discourse or pragmatic module capable of handling such discourse phenomena on the other. What emerges are new proposals for the formal treatment of for instance illocutionary force and the informational status of constituents. Many of the data discussed are from 'real' language rather than being invented, and samples from various languages other than English (Spanish, Polish, Latin, French) are examined and used as illustrations of the theoretical problem to be solved. Readership: theoretical linguists and discourse and conversation analysts

Studies in Interactional Linguistics

Studies in Interactional Linguistics PDF Author: Margret Selting
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing
ISBN: 9789027226204
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 456

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Book Description
Current interactional linguistic research appears to be crystallizing around systematic themes, which are all represented in this collection of papers. In the first section, where the relation between language and interaction is viewed from the perspective of language structure, several articles deal with the potential of a single structure for both turn and sequence construction, revealing a play-off between planned and occasioned syntax with potentially far-reaching consequences for language development. Other articles deal with lexical expressions as resources for the conduct of interaction, showing how they are heavily dependent on turn position and sequential context for their meaning potential. In the second section, with a view from the perspective of the interactional order, a systematic focus of interest lies on three different conversational tasks: projecting turn and turn-unit completion, starting up turns with 'non-beginnings' and self-repairing. The cross-linguistic studies here all agree that common interactional tasks may well be carried out by quite different linguistic practices and that these practices are dependent to a certain extent on language features which are typologically distinct.

Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics

Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics PDF Author:
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0080547842
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 26924

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Book Description
The first edition of ELL (1993, Ron Asher, Editor) was hailed as "the field's standard reference work for a generation". Now the all-new second edition matches ELL's comprehensiveness and high quality, expanded for a new generation, while being the first encyclopedia to really exploit the multimedia potential of linguistics. * The most authoritative, up-to-date, comprehensive, and international reference source in its field * An entirely new work, with new editors, new authors, new topics and newly commissioned articles with a handful of classic articles * The first Encyclopedia to exploit the multimedia potential of linguistics through the online edition * Ground-breaking and International in scope and approach * Alphabetically arranged with extensive cross-referencing * Available in print and online, priced separately. The online version will include updates as subjects develop ELL2 includes: * c. 7,500,000 words * c. 11,000 pages * c. 3,000 articles * c. 1,500 figures: 130 halftones and 150 colour * Supplementary audio, video and text files online * c. 3,500 glossary definitions * c. 39,000 references * Extensive list of commonly used abbreviations * List of languages of the world (including information on no. of speakers, language family, etc.) * Approximately 700 biographical entries (now includes contemporary linguists) * 200 language maps in print and online Also available online via ScienceDirect – featuring extensive browsing, searching, and internal cross-referencing between articles in the work, plus dynamic linking to journal articles and abstract databases, making navigation flexible and easy. For more information, pricing options and availability visit www.info.sciencedirect.com. The first Encyclopedia to exploit the multimedia potential of linguistics Ground-breaking in scope - wider than any predecessor An invaluable resource for researchers, academics, students and professionals in the fields of: linguistics, anthropology, education, psychology, language acquisition, language pathology, cognitive science, sociology, the law, the media, medicine & computer science. The most authoritative, up-to-date, comprehensive, and international reference source in its field

Historical Linguistics, 1993

Historical Linguistics, 1993 PDF Author: Henning Andersen
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing
ISBN: 9027236275
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 471

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Book Description
This volume contains a selection of 34 of the 96 papers presented at ICHL 1993, including several of the contributions to the workshop on Parameters and Typology organized jointly by Henning Andersen and David W. Lightfoot. Major topics represented are grammaticalization and functional renewal (illustrated with changes in romance, French, Pennsylvania German, Afrikaans, English, Finnish), changes in syntax (Indo-European, Indo-Aryan, Ancient Greek, Romanian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Japanese, Dutch, English) and discourse structure (Old Russian, Old French), morphology (German, Turkic), phonology (Romance, Italian, French, German, Old English, English). Several papers include sociolinguistic, areal, and typological perspectives on change; a few are specifically concerned with reconstruction or with the principles of reconstruction, and several demonstrate the continued importance of the philological methods in the study of texts.

Explorations in English Historical Syntax

Explorations in English Historical Syntax PDF Author: Hubert Cuyckens
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company
ISBN: 9027263841
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 322

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Book Description
The papers in this volume cover a wide range of interrelated syntactic phenomena, from the history of core arguments, to complements and non-finite clauses, elements in the clause periphery, as well as elements with potential scope over complete sentences and even larger discourse chunks. In one way or another, however, they all testify to an increasing awareness that even some of the most central phenomena of syntax – and the way they develop over time – are best understood by taking into account their communicative functions and the way they are processed and represented by speakers’ cognitive apparatus. In doing so, they show that historical syntax, and historical linguistics in general, is witnessing a convergence between formerly distinct linguistic frameworks and traditions. With this fusion of traditions, the trend is undeniably towards a richer and more broadly informed understanding of syntactic change and the history of English. This volume will be of great interest to scholars of (English) historical syntax and historical linguistics within the cognitive-linguistic as well as the generative tradition.