The Syntax of Nonsententials
Multidisciplinary perspectives
Published on 13. September 2006
Book
Hardback
372 pages
978-90-272-3357-8 (ISBN)
Description
This volume brings the data that many in formal linguistics have dismissed as peripheral straight into the core of syntactic theory. By bringing together experts from syntax, semantics, pragmatics, philosophy of language, language acquisition, aphasia, and pidgin and creole studies, the volume makes a multidisciplinary case for the existence of nonsententials, which are analyzed in various chapters as root phrases and small clauses (Me; Me First!; Him worry?!; Class in session), and whose distinguishing property is the absence of Tense, and, with it, any syntactic phenomena that rely on Tense, including structural Nominative Case. Arguably, the lack of Tense specification is also responsible for the dearth of indicative interpretations among nonsententials, as well as for their heavy reliance on pragmatic context. So pervasive is nonsentential speech across all groups, including normal adult speech, that a case can be made that continuity of grammar lies in nonsentential, rather than sentential speech.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Amsterdam
Netherlands
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 245 mm
Width: 164 mm
Weight
845 gr
ISBN-13
978-90-272-3357-8 (9789027233578)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Ljiljana Progovac | Kate Paesani | Eugenia Casielles
The Syntax of Nonsententials
Multidisciplinary perspectives
E-Book
09/2006
1st Edition
John Benjamins Publishing Company
€155.99
Available for download
Persons
Content
1. Preface; 2. Introduction (by Progovac, Ljiljana); 3. 1. Toward a nonsentential analysis in generative grammar (by Barton, Ellen); 4. 2. The syntax of nonsententials: Small clauses and phrases at the root (by Progovac, Ljiljana); 5. 3. "Small structures": A sententialist perspective (by Merchant, Jason); 6. 4. Neither fragments nor ellipsis (by Stainton, Robert J.); 7. 5. Big questions, small answers (by Casielles, Eugenia); 8. 6. Extending the nonsentential analysis: The case of special registers (by Paesani, Kate); 9. 7. The narrowing acquisition path: From expressive small clauses to declaratives (by Potts, Christopher); 10. 8. Nonsententials in second language acquisition (by Work, Nicola); 11. 9. How language adapts to the brain: An analysis of agrammatic aphasia (by Kolk, Herman); 12. 10. Nonsententials and agrammatism (by Siple, Patricia); 13. 11. Reduced syntax in (prototypical) pidgins (by Winford, Donald); 14. 12. Copula variation in Guyanese Creole and AAVE: Implications for nonsentential grammar (by Edwards, Walter F.); 15. Epilogue: Wherefrom and whereto? (by Progovac, Ljiljana); 16. Index