
The Grammar of Names
John M. Anderson(Author)
Oxford University Press
Published on 31. January 2008
Book
Paperback/Softback
390 pages
978-0-19-953395-4 (ISBN)
Description
This book is the first systematic account of the syntax and semantics of names. Drawing on work in onomastics, philosophy, and linguistics, John Anderson examines the distribution and subcategorization of names within a framework of syntactic categories, and considers how the morphosyntactic behaviour of names connects to their semantic roles. He argues that names occur in two basic circumstances: one involving vocatives and their use in naming predications, where they are not definite; the other their use as arguments of predicators, where they are definite. This division is discussed in relation to English, French, Greek, and Seri, and a range of other languages. Professor Anderson reveals that the semantic status of names, including prototypicality, is crucial to understanding their morphosyntax and role in derivational relationships. He shows that semantically coherent subsets of names, such as those referring to people and places, are characterized by morphosyntactic properties which may vary from language to language.
Reviews / Votes
...valuable insights...The book is impeccably written and produced. * Carole Hough Nomina *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Scholars and advanced students of semantics, syntax, psycholinguistics, philosophy of language, and onomastics.
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 155 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
665 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-953395-4 (9780199533954)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

John M. Anderson
The Grammar of Names
Book
01/2007
Oxford University Press
€110.40
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
John Anderson is Emeritus Professor of English Language at the University of Edinburgh where he worked successively as a lecturer (1966-76), reader (1976-88), and professor (1988-2001). He is a Fellow of the British Academy and a Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Toulouse-Le Mirail. He has been a visiting professor at universities in Denmark, Poland, Greece, and Spain; and given lecture series in Italy, Belgium, Austria, the former Czechoslovakia, Germany, and Hungary. His books include The Grammar of Case (CUP, 1971); Old English Phonology (with Roger Lass, CUP, 1975); Principles of Dependency Phonology (with Colin J. Ewen, CUP, 1987); Linguistic Representation (Mouton de Gruyter, 1992); A Notional Theory of Syntactic Categories (CUP, 1997), and Modern Grammars of Case (OUP, 2006).
Content
Preface ; Conventions and Abbreviations ; PART I: WHY NAMES? ; 1. Notional Grammar and Names ; 2. Implementation of a National Grammar ; PART II: APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF NAMES ; 3. Prelude to a Survey of Name Studies ; 4. Onomastics ; 5. Remarks on the Philosophy of Names ; 6. Studies on the Linguistics of Names ; PART III: TOWARDS A GRAMMAR OF NAMES ; 7. Observations Concerning Names and Related Categories ; 8. The Syntax of Names ; 9. Names and the Lexicon ; References ; Author Index ; Subject Index