3 options
Determinants of grammatical variation in English / edited by Gunter Rohdenburg, Britta Mondorf.
- Format:
- Book
- Series:
- Topics in English linguistics ; 43.
- Topics in English linguistics ; 43
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- English language--Grammar.
- English language.
- English language--Variation.
- Physical Description:
- 1 online resource (572 p.)
- Edition:
- 1st ed.
- Place of Publication:
- Berlin ; New York : Mouton de Gruyter, 2003.
- Language Note:
- English
- Summary:
- What factors influence the choice between alternative grammatical structures such as the following: a lit / a lighted cigarette, more full / fuller of convincing arguments, the main thesis of the book / the book's main thesis, take hostage a group of 15 holiday makers / take a group of 15 holidaymakers hostage, conceding that the argument is convincing / conceding the argument to be convincing? This is the central issue explored in this volume, which contains a unique selection of innovative in-depth empirical studies written in a broadly functional framework. The factors investigated include the following: phonological influences (such as the principle of rhythmic alternation and optimal syllable structure), frequency, pervasive semantic and pragmatic aspects (including iconicity, markedness, grammaticalization and typological tendencies), information structure, processing complexity and horror aequi (the avoidance of identity effects).
- Contents:
- Front matter
- Contents
- Introduction
- Frequency as a determinant in grammatical variation and change / Krug, Manfred
- Phonological determinants of grammatical variation in English: Chomsky's worst possible case / Schlüter, Julia
- Post-verbal constituent ordering in English / Wasow, Thomas / Arnold, Jennifer
- Grammatical variation in English: A question of 'structure vs. function'? / Gries, Stefan Th.
- Why are zero-marked phrases close to their heads? / Hawkins, John A.
- Cognitive complexity and horror aequi as factors determining the use of interrogative clause linkers in English / Rohdenburg, Günter
- Support for more-support / Mondorf, Britta
- The role of extractions and horror aequi in the evolution of -ing complements in Modern English / Vosberg, Uwe
- Gerundial complements after begin and start: Grammatical and sociolinguistic factors, and how they work against each other / Mair, Christian
- Is there semantics in all syntax? The case of accusative and infinitive constructions vs. that-clauses / Noël, Dirk
- Aspects of iconicity and economy in the choice between the s-genitive and the of-genitive in English / Rosenbach, Anette
- Constructional semantics as a limit to grammatical alternation: The two genitives of English / Stefanowitsch, Anatol
- Principles of grammaticalization and linguistic reality / Fischer, Olga C.M.
- Varieties of English from a cross-linguistic perspective: Intensifiers and reflexives / Siemund, Peter
- Non-standard English and typological principles: The case of negation / Anderwald, Lieselotte
- 'Every place has a different toll': Determinants of grammatical variation in cross-variety perspective / Tagliamonte, Sali A.
- Author index
- Subject index
- Notes:
- Description based upon print version of record.
- Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
- ISBN:
- 9783110900019
- 3110900017
- OCLC:
- 1013946733
The Penn Libraries is committed to describing library materials using current, accurate, and responsible language. If you discover outdated or inaccurate language, please fill out this feedback form to report it and suggest alternative language.