Invariance, Markedness and Distinctive Feature Analysis
A contrastive study of sign systems in English and Hebrew
1st Edition
Published on 15. December 1994
XXII, 406 pages
978-90-272-7674-2 (ISBN)
Description
This volume provides a new kind of contrastive analysis of two unrelated languages - English and Hebrew - based on the semiotic concepts of invariance, markedness and distinctive feature theory. It concentrates on linguistic forms and constructions which are remarkably different in each language despite the fact that they share the same familiar classifications and labels.
Tobin demonstrates how and why traditional and modern syntactic categories such as grammatical number; verb tense, aspect, mood and voice; conditionals and interrogatives; etc., are not equivalent across languages. It is argued that these so-called universal concepts function differently in each language system because they belong to distinct language-specific semantic domains which are marked by different sets of semantic features.
The data used in this volume have been taken from a wide range of both spoken and written discourse and texts reflecting people's actual use of language presented in their relevant linguistic and situational contexts.
Tobin demonstrates how and why traditional and modern syntactic categories such as grammatical number; verb tense, aspect, mood and voice; conditionals and interrogatives; etc., are not equivalent across languages. It is argued that these so-called universal concepts function differently in each language system because they belong to distinct language-specific semantic domains which are marked by different sets of semantic features.
The data used in this volume have been taken from a wide range of both spoken and written discourse and texts reflecting people's actual use of language presented in their relevant linguistic and situational contexts.
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Yishai Tobin
Invariance, Markedness and Distinctive Feature Analysis
A contrastive study of sign systems in English and Hebrew
Book
12/1994
John Benjamins Publishing Co
€137.80
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Content
- INVARIANCE, MARKEDNESS AND DISTINCTIVE FEATURE ANALYSIS
- Editorial page
- Title page
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Table of contents
- List of Figures
- List of Tables
- Preface
- Part I: Theoretical and Methodological Background
- Chapter 1. The sign-oriented approach
- Defining language
- Defining language semiotically
- Defining language synergetically
- Meaning versus message
- Meaning versus message and function: The case of lost
- Language synergetics from the semiotic or sign-oriented approach
- The synergetic relationship between encoders and decoders
- The synergetic relationship between signals and meanings
- The synergetic relationship between lexicon and grammar
- Summary and conclusions
- Chapter 2. The sign-oriented model
- In search of the sign
- Different aspects of signals
- Word order in English and Hebrew: to be or not to be a sign?
- Different aspects of invariant meaning
- Different aspects of semantic systems
- The concept of grammatical number
- The dual number: grammar or lexicon?
- Number systems across languages
- The creative use of the dual in spoken and written discourse
- The creative use of the dual in a literary text
- Summary and Conclusions
- Part II: Semantic Integrality
- Chapter 3. Semantic Integrality
- The distinctive feature: Semantic Integrality
- The problem
- Irregular plurals: mass/count nouns, agreement
- Quantifiers
- (a) many (U) versus much (M) in English and Hebrew
- (b) each (U) versus every (M) in English and Hebrew
- (c) some (U) versus any (M) in English and Hebrew
- Adverbs of comparison
- Connectives
- Restrictives
- Deletives
- Comparatives and Superlatives
- Diminishers
- Conditionals
- Summary and conclusions
- Chapter 4. Possessive constructions in English and Hebrew
- Possessive constructions in English
- A summary of traditional and neotraditional explanations
- The analysis
- The data: microlevel analysis
- The data: macrolevel analysis
- Possessive constructions in Hebrew
- Comparing and contrasting the systems
- An analysis of two marked Hebrew constructions: "from sign to text
- A contrastive analysis of Hebrew and English: "from text to sign
- Summary and conclusions
- Chapter 5. Contractions in English
- Contractions
- A summary of traditional and neotraditional explanations
- The analysis
- The data: microlevel analysis
- The data: macrolevel analysis
- Summary and conclusions
- Part III: Process and Result in Language
- Chapter 6. Troublesome lexical pairs in English
- Process and result in language
- Speak versustalk in English
- From sign to text": Giovanni's Room
- From text to sign''': Looking for Mr. Goodbar
- Chapter 7. Troublesome lexical pairs in Hebrew
- lomar versus lehagid - 'to say'/'tell'
- lehamtin versus lexakot - 'to wait'
- laxzor versus lashuv - 'to return'
- lehatxil versus lehaxel - 'to begin'/'start'
- lesayem versus ligmor - 'to end' /'finish'/'complete'
- Chapter 8. The Hebrew root and conjugation (binyan) systems
- The problem: lexicon or grammar?
- Traditional and neotraditional analyses
- The analysis
- The data: the binyan system
- Processand result and passive
- The so-called passive in Hebrew
- Qal versus nifal
- Microlevel analysis: minimal pairs
- Macrolevel analysis: gerushim meuxarim - A Late Divorce
- Summary and conclusions
- Part IV: Specification in Language
- Chapter 9. Here, now and where in English and Hebrew
- The universal spatio-temporal-existential cline revisited
- Now in English and Hebrew
- Here in English and Hebrew
- From here to where in English and Hebrew
- Chapter 10. Interrogativesin English and Hebrew
- Interrogatives
- The interrogative doublets in Hebrew
- The analysis
- eix and keitsad = 'how' in Hebrew
- The whys of English and Hebrew
- lama and madua = why in Hebrew
- Why, how come and what for in English
- Summary and conclusions
- Notes
- List of references
- Name Index
- Subject Index
