The Syntax of Argument Structure: 120 (Cambridge Studies in Linguistics, Series Number 120) - Hardcover

Babby, Leonard H.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 052141797X ISBN 13: 9780521417976

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2009

Synopsis

Each verb in natural language is associated with a set of arguments, which are not systematically predictable from the verb's meaning and are realized syntactically as the projected sentence's subject, direct object, etc. Babby puts forward the theory that this set of arguments (the verb's 'argument structure') has a universal hierarchical composition which directly determines the sentence's case and grammatical relations. The structure is uniform across language families and types, and this theory is supported by the fact that the core grammatical relations within simple sentences of all human languages are essentially identical. Babby determines and empirically justifies the rigid hierarchical organization of argument structure on which this theory rests. The book uses examples taken primarily from Russian, a language whose complex inflectional system, free word order, and lack of obligatory determiners make it the typological polar opposite of English.

About this title

Review:

'Babby's book is well argued, clearly written, and amply illustrated with data. It will certainly play a central role in the further development of generative theory.' Slavic Review

Book Description:

This book proposes an intriguing theory of argument structure. Babby puts forward the theory that this set of arguments (the verb's 'argument structure') has a universal hierarchical composition which directly determines the sentence's case and grammatical relations.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 052141797X
• ISBN 13: 9780521417976
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 326