Syntactic Change: A Minimalist Approach to Grammaticalization (Cambridge Studies in Linguistics, Series Number 100) - Softcover

Roberts, Ian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521066840 ISBN 13: 9780521066846

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2008

Synopsis

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.

About this title

Review:

Review of the hardback: 'In this book, Roberts and Roussou articulate the most radical and intriguing analysis of grammaticalisation to emerge within the formalist tradition in many years ... The impressive range of empirical studies combined with deep theoretical insight and flawless formal rigor make this book required reading for anyone interested in syntactic change and in minimalist syntax in general. This is comparative and diachronic syntax at its very best.' George Tsoulas, University of York

Book Description:

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.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0521066840
• ISBN 13: 9780521066846
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288