Natural Syntax: Iconicity and Erosion (Cambridge Studies in Linguistics, Series Number 44) - Hardcover

Haiman, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521266416 ISBN 13: 9780521266413

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1985

Synopsis

The view that language is in some way 'arbitrary', that there is no formal relationship between a linguistic message and the thought it is meant to convey, is long established and pervasive. The goal of John Haiman's study is to challenge the monopoly of arbitrariness, which he believes has affected in significant ways many models of linguistic description and analysis, notably those proposed by Saussure and more recently by Chomsky and his associates. Linguistic structures, Dr Hainian claims, may be compared to (non-linguistic) diagrams of our thoughts, and deviate from iconicity in many of the same ways and for much the same reasons as do diagrams in general. Arbitrariness develops as a result of the relatively familiar principles of economy, generalization and association. In relation to this thesis, Dr Haiman considers a wide variety of constructions, including conditionals and interrogatives, gapping, causative structures, auxiliaries and reflexives, and provides a wealth of exemplification from different languages that also points to typological differences in respect of iconicity.

About this title

Book Description

The goal of John Haiman's study is to challenge the monopoly of arbitrariness, which he believes has affected in significant ways many models of linguistic description and analysis, notably those proposed by Saussure and more recently by Chomsky and his associates.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1985
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521266416
• ISBN 13: 9780521266413
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 296