Reflexives: Forms and functions. Volume 1: 40 - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 9027229392 ISBN 13: 9789027229397

Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Co, 2000

Synopsis

The importance of reflexive markers in the study of language structure cannot be underestimated: they participate in the coding of the argument structure of a clause; in the coding of semantic relations between arguments and verbs; in the coding of the relationship between arguments; in the coding of aspect; in the coding of point of view; and in the Coding of the information structure of a clause.
The present volume offers an approach to reflexive forms and functions from several perspectives: a formal approach where reflexives are discussed within a well-defined model of language representation; a typological approach; a historical approach concentrating on grammaticalization of reflexives and on the changes that pronouns and anaphors undergo; and a functionalist approach where functions of reflexive forms are described. The languages from which data were drawn represent a wide variety of language families and language types: English, Old English, Dutch, German, Tsakhur (Nakh-Dagestanian), Spanish, French, Bantu and Chadic languages. The variety of languages discussed and the different approaches taken complement each other in that each contributes an important piece to the understanding of reflexives in a cross-linguistic perspective.

About this title

Synopsis

This text examines the forms and functions of reflexives. The picture that emerges from the studies in the volume indicates a certain degree of convergence of results, even when analyses have been conducted from different theoretical perspectives and had different goals. The papers do not intend to be the final statements on the subject matter. They aim to offer a variety of approaches broad enough to be of interest for linguists working on the issues of grammatical relations, thematic relations, anaphora and coreferentiality, lexical and grammatical categories, lexicalization, diachronic category changes and grammaticalization in general.

Edition details

• Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Co
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9027229392
• ISBN 13: 9789027229397
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 302
• Editor: Frajzyngier Zygmunt, Walker Traci