Basic Linguistic Theory Volume 2: Grammatical TopicsIn Basic Linguistic Theory R. M. W. Dixon provides a new and fundamental characterization of the nature of human languages and a comprehensive guide to their description and analysis. In three clearly written and accessible volumes, he describes how best to go about doing linguistics, the most satisfactory and profitable ways to work, and the pitfalls to avoid. In the first volume he addresses the methodology for recording, analysing, and comparing languages. He argues that grammatical structures and rules should be worked out inductively on the basis of evidence, explaining in detail the steps by which an attested grammar and lexicon can built up from observed utterances. He shows how the grammars and words of one language may be compared to others of the same or different families, explains the methods involved in cross-linguistic parametric analyses, and describes how to interpret the results. Volume 2 and volume 3 (to be published in 2011) offer in-depth tours of underlying principles of grammatical organization, as well as many of the facts of grammatical variation. 'The task of the linguist,' Professor Dixon writes, 'is to explain the nature of human languages - each viewed as an integrated system - together with an explanation of why each language is the way it is, allied to the further scientific pursuits of prediction and evaluation.' Basic Linguistic Theory is the triumphant outcome of a lifetime's thinking about every aspect and manifestation of language and immersion in linguistic fieldwork. It is a one-stop text for undergraduate and graduate students of linguistics, as well as for those in neighbouring disciplines, such as psychology and anthropology. |
Contents
10 Grammatical Word and Phonological Word | 1 |
11 Distinguishing Noun and Verb | 37 |
12 The Adjective Class | 62 |
13 Transitivity | 115 |
14 Copula Clauses and Verbless Clauses | 159 |
15 Pronouns and Demonstratives | 189 |
16 Possession | 262 |
17 Relative Clause Constructions | 313 |
18 Complement Clauses and Complementation Strategies | 370 |
Glossary | 422 |
433 | |
464 | |
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Common terms and phrases
3rd person accusative activity added adjective class affix Aikhenvald and/or appears applies bound pronouns called chapter common complement clause consists contrast copula core arguments criteria demonstratives derived described discussion distinction distinguish Dixon Dyirbal element employed English ergative example extended fact Fijian function further grammatical word head illustrated indicates inflection instance intransitive intransitive verb involves Jarawara John kind languages look main clause marker marking Mary meaning mentioned modifier nominal nominal demonstratives Note noun occur person person pronouns phonological word plural possessive possibilities predicate prefix present processes pronominal properties provides question realized recognized reference relation relative clause construction relative pronoun role root rules semantic sentence shown similar slot sometimes speaker strategy structure suffix syntactic Table tense transitive typically underlying unit variety verb word classes