Syntactic Change

Syntactic Change

Author: Ian Roberts

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2003-09-04

Total Pages: 296

ISBN-13: 9780521790567

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The phenomenon of grammaticalization - the historical process whereby new grammatical material is created - has attracted a great deal of attention within linguistics. This is an attempt to provide a general account of this phenomenon in terms of a formal theory of syntax. Using Chomsky's Minimalist Program for linguistic theory, Roberts and Roussou show how this approach gives rise to a number of important conceptual and theoretical issues concerning the nature of functional categories and the form of parameters, as well as the relation of both of these to language change. Drawing on examples from a wide range of languages, they construct a general account of grammaticalization with implications for linguistic theory and language acquisition.


Book Synopsis Syntactic Change by : Ian Roberts

Download or read book Syntactic Change written by Ian Roberts and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2003-09-04 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The phenomenon of grammaticalization - the historical process whereby new grammatical material is created - has attracted a great deal of attention within linguistics. This is an attempt to provide a general account of this phenomenon in terms of a formal theory of syntax. Using Chomsky's Minimalist Program for linguistic theory, Roberts and Roussou show how this approach gives rise to a number of important conceptual and theoretical issues concerning the nature of functional categories and the form of parameters, as well as the relation of both of these to language change. Drawing on examples from a wide range of languages, they construct a general account of grammaticalization with implications for linguistic theory and language acquisition.

Syntactic Change in Germanic

Syntactic Change in Germanic

Author: Kate Burridge

Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing

Published: 1993-01-01

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13: 9027235899

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This study examines certain features of Dutch syntax between approximately 1300 and 1650. Of central importance are the overall developments in the word order patterning and the various changes they entail elsewhere in the grammar, such as in the negative construction. After an introductory chapter providing goals and background for the study, the quantitative analysis of the data is presented in Chapter 2. Considerable attention is paid to contextual considerations and the pragmatic aspect of word order. Chapter 3 deals specifically with the question of exbraciation; Chapter 4 returns to the functional aspect of word order and discusses the importance of the notion 'topic'. Chapter 5 provides a detailed analysis of the development of negation supported by comparative data from related Germanic languages and in a wider context of overall typological change. The concluding chapter discusses possible explanations of the findings. Two Appendices are added to the book, one providing a sketch grammar of Dutch, the other an annotated list of the corpus used. This study is purposefully eclectic in its approach, drawing upon many different traditions and areas in linguistics. This multifaceted approach is a major strength of the book, which moreover makes an important contribution to theoretical issues by presenting a vast descriptive data base for Dutch.


Book Synopsis Syntactic Change in Germanic by : Kate Burridge

Download or read book Syntactic Change in Germanic written by Kate Burridge and published by John Benjamins Publishing. This book was released on 1993-01-01 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study examines certain features of Dutch syntax between approximately 1300 and 1650. Of central importance are the overall developments in the word order patterning and the various changes they entail elsewhere in the grammar, such as in the negative construction. After an introductory chapter providing goals and background for the study, the quantitative analysis of the data is presented in Chapter 2. Considerable attention is paid to contextual considerations and the pragmatic aspect of word order. Chapter 3 deals specifically with the question of exbraciation; Chapter 4 returns to the functional aspect of word order and discusses the importance of the notion 'topic'. Chapter 5 provides a detailed analysis of the development of negation supported by comparative data from related Germanic languages and in a wider context of overall typological change. The concluding chapter discusses possible explanations of the findings. Two Appendices are added to the book, one providing a sketch grammar of Dutch, the other an annotated list of the corpus used. This study is purposefully eclectic in its approach, drawing upon many different traditions and areas in linguistics. This multifaceted approach is a major strength of the book, which moreover makes an important contribution to theoretical issues by presenting a vast descriptive data base for Dutch.

Syntactic Change in Medieval French

Syntactic Change in Medieval French

Author: Barbara S. Vance

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 405

ISBN-13: 9401588430

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1. 0. V2 AND NULL SUBJECTS IN THE HIS TORY OF FRENCH The prototypical Romance null subject language has certain well known characteristics: verbal inflection is rich, distinguishing six per sonlnumber forms; subject pronouns are generally emphatic; and, when there is no need to emphasize the subject, the pronoun is not expressed at all. Spanish and Italian, for example, fit this description rather weIl. Modem French, however, provides a striking contrast to these lan guages; it does not allow subjects to be missing and, not unexpectedly, it has a verbal agreement system with few overt endings and subject pronouns which are not emphatic. One of the goals of the present work is to examine null subjects in two dialects of Romance that fit neither the Italian nor the French model: later Old French (12th-13th centriries) and MiddIe French (14th- 15th centuries). Old French has null subjects only in contexts where the subject would be postverbal if expressed (cf. Foulet (1928)), and Mid dIe French has null subjects in a wider range of syntactic contexts but does not freely allow a11 persons of the verb to be null. The work of Vanelli, Renzi and Beninca (1985) (along with many other works by these authors individually) shows that a number of other geographically proximate medieval dialects had similar systems, though it appears that there are significant differences in detail among them.


Book Synopsis Syntactic Change in Medieval French by : Barbara S. Vance

Download or read book Syntactic Change in Medieval French written by Barbara S. Vance and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 405 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 1. 0. V2 AND NULL SUBJECTS IN THE HIS TORY OF FRENCH The prototypical Romance null subject language has certain well known characteristics: verbal inflection is rich, distinguishing six per sonlnumber forms; subject pronouns are generally emphatic; and, when there is no need to emphasize the subject, the pronoun is not expressed at all. Spanish and Italian, for example, fit this description rather weIl. Modem French, however, provides a striking contrast to these lan guages; it does not allow subjects to be missing and, not unexpectedly, it has a verbal agreement system with few overt endings and subject pronouns which are not emphatic. One of the goals of the present work is to examine null subjects in two dialects of Romance that fit neither the Italian nor the French model: later Old French (12th-13th centriries) and MiddIe French (14th- 15th centuries). Old French has null subjects only in contexts where the subject would be postverbal if expressed (cf. Foulet (1928)), and Mid dIe French has null subjects in a wider range of syntactic contexts but does not freely allow a11 persons of the verb to be null. The work of Vanelli, Renzi and Beninca (1985) (along with many other works by these authors individually) shows that a number of other geographically proximate medieval dialects had similar systems, though it appears that there are significant differences in detail among them.

Syntactic Change

Syntactic Change

Author: Jan T. Faarlund

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter

Published: 2011-07-20

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 3110854945

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TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS is a series of books that open new perspectives in our understanding of language. The series publishes state-of-the-art work on core areas of linguistics across theoretical frameworks as well as studies that provide new insights by building bridges to neighbouring fields such as neuroscience and cognitive science. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS considers itself a forum for cutting-edge research based on solid empirical data on language in its various manifestations, including sign languages. It regards linguistic variation in its synchronic and diachronic dimensions as well as in its social contexts as important sources of insight for a better understanding of the design of linguistic systems and the ecology and evolution of language. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS publishes monographs and outstanding dissertations as well as edited volumes, which provide the opportunity to address controversial topics from different empirical and theoretical viewpoints. High quality standards are ensured through anonymous reviewing.


Book Synopsis Syntactic Change by : Jan T. Faarlund

Download or read book Syntactic Change written by Jan T. Faarlund and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2011-07-20 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS is a series of books that open new perspectives in our understanding of language. The series publishes state-of-the-art work on core areas of linguistics across theoretical frameworks as well as studies that provide new insights by building bridges to neighbouring fields such as neuroscience and cognitive science. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS considers itself a forum for cutting-edge research based on solid empirical data on language in its various manifestations, including sign languages. It regards linguistic variation in its synchronic and diachronic dimensions as well as in its social contexts as important sources of insight for a better understanding of the design of linguistic systems and the ecology and evolution of language. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS publishes monographs and outstanding dissertations as well as edited volumes, which provide the opportunity to address controversial topics from different empirical and theoretical viewpoints. High quality standards are ensured through anonymous reviewing.

Mechanisms of Syntactic Change

Mechanisms of Syntactic Change

Author: Charles N. Li

Publisher: University of Texas Press

Published: 2014-09-10

Total Pages: 641

ISBN-13: 1477301054

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Historical linguistics, the oldest field in linguistics, has been traditionally dominated by phonological and etymological investigations. Only in the late twentieth century have linguists begun to focus their interest and research on the area of syntactic change and the insight it provides on the nature of language. This volume represents the first major contribution on the mechanisms of syntactic change. The fourteen articles that make up this volume were selected from the Symposium on the Mechanisms of Syntactic Change held at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1976, one of a series of three conferences sponsored by the National Science Foundation. These papers clearly demonstrate that the generative approach to the study of language does not explain diachronic processes in syntax. This collection is enlightening, provocative, and carefully documented with data drawn from a great variety of language families.


Book Synopsis Mechanisms of Syntactic Change by : Charles N. Li

Download or read book Mechanisms of Syntactic Change written by Charles N. Li and published by University of Texas Press. This book was released on 2014-09-10 with total page 641 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Historical linguistics, the oldest field in linguistics, has been traditionally dominated by phonological and etymological investigations. Only in the late twentieth century have linguists begun to focus their interest and research on the area of syntactic change and the insight it provides on the nature of language. This volume represents the first major contribution on the mechanisms of syntactic change. The fourteen articles that make up this volume were selected from the Symposium on the Mechanisms of Syntactic Change held at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1976, one of a series of three conferences sponsored by the National Science Foundation. These papers clearly demonstrate that the generative approach to the study of language does not explain diachronic processes in syntax. This collection is enlightening, provocative, and carefully documented with data drawn from a great variety of language families.

Information Structure and Syntactic Change in the History of English

Information Structure and Syntactic Change in the History of English

Author: Anneli Meurman-Solin

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2012-08-02

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 0199860211

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The unifying topic of this volume is the role of information structure, broadly conceived, as it interacts with the other levels of linguistic description, syntax, morphology, prosody, semantics and pragmatics.


Book Synopsis Information Structure and Syntactic Change in the History of English by : Anneli Meurman-Solin

Download or read book Information Structure and Syntactic Change in the History of English written by Anneli Meurman-Solin and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2012-08-02 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The unifying topic of this volume is the role of information structure, broadly conceived, as it interacts with the other levels of linguistic description, syntax, morphology, prosody, semantics and pragmatics.

Syntactic Change in Late Modern English

Syntactic Change in Late Modern English

Author: Erik Smitterberg

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2021-11-25

Total Pages: 315

ISBN-13: 1108474225

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This book provides a fresh perspective on language change in Late Modern English, and is illustrated with corpus-linguistic case studies.


Book Synopsis Syntactic Change in Late Modern English by : Erik Smitterberg

Download or read book Syntactic Change in Late Modern English written by Erik Smitterberg and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-11-25 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a fresh perspective on language change in Late Modern English, and is illustrated with corpus-linguistic case studies.

The Semantics of Syntactic Change

The Semantics of Syntactic Change

Author: Dieter Stein

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter

Published: 2011-06-01

Total Pages: 461

ISBN-13: 3110846829

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TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS is a series of books that open new perspectives in our understanding of language. The series publishes state-of-the-art work on core areas of linguistics across theoretical frameworks as well as studies that provide new insights by building bridges to neighbouring fields such as neuroscience and cognitive science. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS considers itself a forum for cutting-edge research based on solid empirical data on language in its various manifestations, including sign languages. It regards linguistic variation in its synchronic and diachronic dimensions as well as in its social contexts as important sources of insight for a better understanding of the design of linguistic systems and the ecology and evolution of language. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS publishes monographs and outstanding dissertations as well as edited volumes, which provide the opportunity to address controversial topics from different empirical and theoretical viewpoints. High quality standards are ensured through anonymous reviewing.


Book Synopsis The Semantics of Syntactic Change by : Dieter Stein

Download or read book The Semantics of Syntactic Change written by Dieter Stein and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2011-06-01 with total page 461 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS is a series of books that open new perspectives in our understanding of language. The series publishes state-of-the-art work on core areas of linguistics across theoretical frameworks as well as studies that provide new insights by building bridges to neighbouring fields such as neuroscience and cognitive science. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS considers itself a forum for cutting-edge research based on solid empirical data on language in its various manifestations, including sign languages. It regards linguistic variation in its synchronic and diachronic dimensions as well as in its social contexts as important sources of insight for a better understanding of the design of linguistic systems and the ecology and evolution of language. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS publishes monographs and outstanding dissertations as well as edited volumes, which provide the opportunity to address controversial topics from different empirical and theoretical viewpoints. High quality standards are ensured through anonymous reviewing.

Internal and External Factors in Syntactic Change

Internal and External Factors in Syntactic Change

Author: Marinel Gerritsen

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter

Published: 2011-09-27

Total Pages: 492

ISBN-13: 3110886049

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TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS is a series of books that open new perspectives in our understanding of language. The series publishes state-of-the-art work on core areas of linguistics across theoretical frameworks as well as studies that provide new insights by building bridges to neighbouring fields such as neuroscience and cognitive science. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS considers itself a forum for cutting-edge research based on solid empirical data on language in its various manifestations, including sign languages. It regards linguistic variation in its synchronic and diachronic dimensions as well as in its social contexts as important sources of insight for a better understanding of the design of linguistic systems and the ecology and evolution of language. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS publishes monographs and outstanding dissertations as well as edited volumes, which provide the opportunity to address controversial topics from different empirical and theoretical viewpoints. High quality standards are ensured through anonymous reviewing.


Book Synopsis Internal and External Factors in Syntactic Change by : Marinel Gerritsen

Download or read book Internal and External Factors in Syntactic Change written by Marinel Gerritsen and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2011-09-27 with total page 492 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS is a series of books that open new perspectives in our understanding of language. The series publishes state-of-the-art work on core areas of linguistics across theoretical frameworks as well as studies that provide new insights by building bridges to neighbouring fields such as neuroscience and cognitive science. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS considers itself a forum for cutting-edge research based on solid empirical data on language in its various manifestations, including sign languages. It regards linguistic variation in its synchronic and diachronic dimensions as well as in its social contexts as important sources of insight for a better understanding of the design of linguistic systems and the ecology and evolution of language. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS publishes monographs and outstanding dissertations as well as edited volumes, which provide the opportunity to address controversial topics from different empirical and theoretical viewpoints. High quality standards are ensured through anonymous reviewing.

Syntactic Change in Welsh

Syntactic Change in Welsh

Author: David W. E. Willis

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 328

ISBN-13: 9780198237594

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Scholars have often been puzzled by the fact that the basic word-order rule of Welsh seems to have changed twice in the last 1000 years. David Willis explores how and why these changes have taken place. He examines the relationship between the literary and spoken language throughout the history of Welsh, points out similarities between the rules of earlier Welsh and other European languages, and looks at the forces that cause languages to change over time.


Book Synopsis Syntactic Change in Welsh by : David W. E. Willis

Download or read book Syntactic Change in Welsh written by David W. E. Willis and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1998 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scholars have often been puzzled by the fact that the basic word-order rule of Welsh seems to have changed twice in the last 1000 years. David Willis explores how and why these changes have taken place. He examines the relationship between the literary and spoken language throughout the history of Welsh, points out similarities between the rules of earlier Welsh and other European languages, and looks at the forces that cause languages to change over time.