Language change, variation, and universals : a constructional approach / Peter W. Culicover.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Culicover, Peter W., author.

Series:

Oxford scholarship online.

Oxford scholarship online

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Linguistic change.

Language and languages--Variation.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (336 pages).

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Oxford, England : Oxford University Press, [2021]

Summary:

This volume explores how human languages become what they are, why they differ from one another in certain ways but not in others, and why they change in the ways that they do. Peter Culicover proposes that language change and variation are responses to the pressure to find efficient grammatical solutions to the task of expressing human thought.

Contents:

Cover

Language Change, Variation, and Universals: A Constructional Approach

Copyright

Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

List of Abbreviations

Part I: Foundations

1: Overview

1.1 The problem

1.2 Constructions

1.2.1 Basics

1.2.2 Constructions are not derivations

1.3 Antecedents

2: Constructions

2.1 Introduction

2.2 What a grammar is for

2.3 A framework for constructions

2.3.1 Representing constructions

2.3.2 Licensing

2.3.3 Linear order

2.4 Appendix: Formalizing constructions

2.4.1 Representations on tiers

2.4.2 Connections between tiers

2.4.3 Licensing via instantiation

3: Universals

3.1 Classical Universal Grammar

3.1.1 Core grammar

3.1.2 Parameters

3.1.3 UG and emerging grammars

3.2 Another conception of universals

3.3 On the notion 'possible human language'

3.3.1 Possible constructions

3.3.2 An example: Negation

3.3.3 Another example: The imperative

3.4 Against uniformity

4: Learning, complexity, and competition

4.1 Acquiring constructions

4.2 Constructional innovation

4.3 Constructions in competition

4.3.1 Multiple grammars vs. multiple constructions

4.3.2 Defining competition

4.3.3 When do we actually have competition?

4.4 Economy

4.4.1 Representational complexity

4.4.2 Computational complexity

4.4.3 Interpretive complexity

4.5 Simulating competition

4.6 Summary

Part II: Variation

5: Argument structure

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Argument structure constructions (ASCs)

5.2.1 Devices

5.2.2 CS features

5.3 Differential marking

5.3.1 Differential subject marking

5.3.2 Differential object marking

5.4 Modeling differential marking

5.4.1 Acquisition of ASCs

5.4.2 Simulation

5.5 Summary

6: Grammatical functions

6.1 Introduction

6.2 The notion of 'subject'.

6.3 Morphologically rich ASCs

6.3.1 Plains Cree argument structure

6.3.2 Incorporation

6.3.3 Complexity in ASCs

6.4 Split intransitive

6.5 The emergence of grammatical functions

6.6 Summary

7: A' constructions

7.1 Foundations

7.2 Doing A' work

7.2.1 Gaps and chains

7.2.2 Relatives

7.2.3 Topicalization

7.3 Scope in situ

7.3.1 Wh-in-situ

7.3.2 In situ in polysynthesis

7.3.3 Other in situ

7.3.4 Cryptoconstructional in situ

7.4 Extensions of A' constructions

7.5 Toward an A' constructional typology

7.6 Summary

Part III: Change

8: Constructional change in Germanic

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Basic clausal constructions of Modern German

8.2.1 Initial position in the clause

8.2.2 Position of the finite verb in the main clause

8.2.3 Position of the verb in a subordinate clause

8.2.4 Position of the verb in questions

8.3 The development of English

8.3.1 The position of the verb

8.3.2 The 'loss' of V2 in English

8.3.3 The loss of case marking

8.4 The development of Modern German from Old High German

8.5 Verb clusters

8.6 Conclusion

9: Changes outside of the CCore

9.1 English reflexives

9.1.1 Reflexivity in constructions

9.1.2 Variation and change in reflexive constructions

9.2 Auxiliary do

9.2.1 The emergence of do

9.2.2 The spread of do

9.3 Preposition stranding

9.3.1 Why p-stranding?

9.3.2 P-passive

9.3.3 Coercion

9.4 Conclusion

10: Constructional economy and analogy

10.1 The elements of style

10.2 Analogy

10.2.1 Maximizing economy

10.2.2 Routines

10.2.3 Pure style

10.3 Beyond parameters: Capturing the style

10.3.1 Baker's Polysynthesis Parameter

10.3.2 Greenberg's universals

10.3.3 Non-Greenbergian universals

10.4 Summary

11: Recapitulation and prospects

References

Language Index.

Author Index

Subject Index.

Notes:

This edition also issued in print: 2021.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-19-189775-2

0-19-263473-9

OCLC:

1263875060