Synopsis:
This groundbreaking book offers a new and compelling perspective on the structure of human language. The fundamental issue it addresses is the proper balance between syntax and semantics, between structure and derivation, and between rule systems and lexicon. It argues that the balance struck by mainstream generative grammar is wrong. It puts forward a new basis for syntactic theory, drawing on a wide range of frameworks, and charts new directions for research. In the past four decades, theories of syntactic structure have become more abstract, and syntactic derivations have become ever more complex. Peter Culicover and Ray Jackendoff trace this development through the history of contemporary syntactic theory, showing how much it has been driven by theory-internal rather than empirical considerations. They develop an alternative that is responsive to linguistic, cognitive, computational, and biological concerns. At the core of this alternative is the Simpler Syntax Hypothesis: the most explanatory syntactic theory is one that imputes the minimum structure necessary to mediate between phonology and meaning.A consequence of this hypothesis is a far richer mapping between syntax and semantics than is generally assumed. Through concrete analyses of numerous grammatical phenomena, some well studied and some new, the authors demonstrate the empirical and conceptual superiority of the Simpler Syntax approach. Simpler Syntax is addressed to linguists of all persuasions. It will also be of central interest to those concerned with language in psychology, human biology, evolution, computational science, and artificial intellige
Review:
This groundbreaking book offers a new and compelling perspective on the structure of human language. (Folia Linguistica)
Simpler Syntax is a very rich book, both in its basic content ― over 500 pages worth ― and in its generous provision of food for thought. It should prove thought-provoking not just for scholars working within generative linguistics, for whom it will provide many novel and insightful solutions to some very old questions within that paradigm, but also for linguists from outside the generative tradition, who will find in it one of the very few historically and applicationally contextualised accounts of the preoccupations of generative linguistics. (Edward McDonald, School of Asian Studies, University of Auckland)
This book is a major step forward for linguistics. Its systematic, accessible style of analysis heralds a renaissance in syntax, not just for specialists but for everyone. (Mark Liberman, University of Pennsylvania)
Two master syntacticians show how far current syntactic theory has lost touch with reality - and how to reconnect. A brilliant book, inspiring new optimism about the field. (Geoffrey K. Pullum, University of California, Santa Cruz)
Should syntax be integrated with the lexicon, and with semantics and pragmatics more generally? Simpler Syntax offers an important new option. By integrating syntax with the lexicon, and working from lexical units (words, idioms, phrases), Ray Jackendoff and Peter Culicover dispense with many, perhaps most, claims about the special status of syntax. This new book will be welcomed by psycholinguists concerned with processing and with the acquisition of language. It will also be welcome to the many linguists interested in seeing pragmatics as well as semantics in the syntax interface. (Eve V. Clark, Stanford University)
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
