No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the author.
Emergent Grammar
Abstract
Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society (1987), pp. 139-157
... As Smirnova and Sommerer (2020: 3) point out, the incorporation of linguistic changes into CxG entails their reconceptualization as 'network changes', which may involve, among others, node creation (giving rise to constructionalization) and constructional network reconfiguration. 9 Like CxG, DCxG is usage-based in that linguistic change is shaped by language use (Barlow and Kemmer 2000;Bybee 2010;Diessel 2019;Hopper 1987;Langacker 7 It can plausibly be assumed that these geng-constructions can partake of a more encompassing network of conventional and unconventional comparative constructions, whereby [bi N i geng N i ] forms a sister node with [bi N i hai N i ], together forming the higher-order schema [bi N Adverb N]. As a reviewer further pointed out, the presence of [bi N i geng N i ] as a sister node of [bi N i hai N i ] may mutually strengthen these constructions, in that the [bi N i geng N i ] construction may exhibit semantic similarity with [bi N i hai N i ] in terms of collocating nouns (on the importance of collocating nouns in the development of [bi N i hai N i ], see Section 3.2). ...
This paper explores the mechanisms of and motivations for two unconventional comparative constructions in Mandarin: [bi N i hai N i ] and [bi N i hai N j ]. They are unconventional in that the item expressing the dimension along which the comparison is made is a noun rather than an adjective. It is shown that [bi N i hai N i ] emerges (i) by analogy with the conventional comparative construction [bi N hai A] and (ii) by inheriting the nominal feature from an existing construction [Adverb N], which is corroborated by a collexeme analysis. At a more schematic level, the extension A > N observed in [bi N hai A] > [bi N i hai N i ] may have been modeled on the existing development from [Adverb A] to [Adverb N]. Analogical extension and inheritance also underlie the subsequent development from [bi N i hai N i ] to [bi N i hai N j ]. This study not only shows how language changes in a constructional network (including node creation and network reconfiguration), but also sheds light on the nature of horizontal links. It also demonstrates how a synchronically perceived relation between constructions may impact a later, similar language change.
... One such framework is Usage-based Theory. This approach to understanding linguistic variation views grammar as the cognitive organization of individuals' experience with language (Bybee 2006), with some scholars going so far as to assert that grammar is an emergent phenomenon that is continually reshaped by its specific contexts of use (Hopper 1987). From the most general standpoint, our cognitive representations of language forms, their meanings, and the contexts they occur in are constructed out of our encounters with the forms in use. ...
This project explores the synchronic variation of participle forms in Brazilian Portuguese (BP). Despite general systematicity, the language maintains many historically irregular participles, which often compete with regularized variants. The language has also developed innovative participles, which tend to exist in variation with regular forms. Adopting a usage-based framework, the study examines how analogical processes affect persistent irregular participles and short-form forms in BP, emphasizing the role of grammatical context and frequency. Data are drawn from the Portuguese Web 2011 corpus, including 12 verbs with long-form Latinate irregulars (n = 4800) and 8 verbs with short-form forms (n = 3200). The results show that long-form Latinate irregulars are more common as adjectives and with the verb estar, while regularized forms are prevalent with ser and in perfect constructions. Conversely, short-form participles occur least frequently in perfect constructions, showing a tendency towards the maintenance of regularity in this context. Additionally, verbs that occur more often in perfect constructions are most resistant to innovation. These findings indicate that perfect constructions play a dual role in promoting and preserving regularity in BP and shed light on how grammar–internal relationships and contexts of occurrence play a role in language variation and change.
... Furthermore, Hu and Tao [79] proved the low transitivity features of the Chinese verb nong. These studies provided Chinese evidence for the viewpoint of Hopper [80] and Thompson and Hopper [81]. ...
This study investigates the emergence of prepositions in Hebrew-speaking children aged 2;6–6;0 years, analyzing a peer talk corpus of 75 children across five age groups. Across 45-minute triadic conversations, we examined the distributions, semantic functions, and form-function relations of prepositions. Two results sections are presented. First, using network analysis, we modeled the development of form-function correlations of Hebrew prepositions. Second, we conducted qualitative developmental analyses of the distributions and semantics of all prepositions identified in the study. Our findings reveal that prepositions expressed 22 functions, predominantly grammatical, spatial, and temporal. With age, the use of prepositions increased, abstract functions became more prevalent, and functions were served by a broader range of prepositions. The data suggest the emergence of systematic relations, forming network-based clusters or communities of semantically related functions. This systematic growth of the prepositional category signifies not just lexical but also syntactic development in Hebrew, transitioning from lexicalized preposition-marked verb arguments to diverse, abstract preposition-marked syntactic adjuncts, which enrich clause-level complexity.
Bilingualism and the study of speech sounds are two of the largest areas of inquiry in linguistics. This Handbook sits at the intersection of these fields, providing a comprehensive overview of the most recent, cutting-edge work on the sound systems of adult and child bilinguals. Bringing together contributions from an international team of world-leading experts, it covers all aspects of the speech perception, production and processing of bilingual individuals, as well as surveying cross-linguistic influences on the phonetics and phonology of bilingualism. The thirty-five chapters are divided into thematic areas covering the theoretical foundations and methodological approaches employed to investigate bilingual speech, overviews of major findings and developments in child and adult bilingual phonology and phonetics, descriptions of the major areas of research within the speech perception, production and processing of the bilingual individual, and examinations of various predictors of cross-linguistic influence and variables affecting the outcomes of bilingual speech.
Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the periphrases with the verb ir, in the third singular person, searching to describe the motivations for semantic change. Theoretical Framework: In this topic, the main concepts and theories that underpin the research are presented. Stand out the Usage-Centered Functional Linguistics - LFCU (Oliveira; Rosário, 2015; Furtado da Cunha, Bispo, Silva, 2016) which is based on Construction Grammar, Cognitive Linguistics (Goldberg, 1995; Traugott; Trousdale, 2021; Bybee, 2016), providing a solid basis for understanding the context ofthe investigation. Method: The methodology adopted for this research it is explanatory-descriptive and can be considered empirically based, focusing on the synchronic character, since the samples are extracted in a single temporal dimension Results and Discussion: The results obtained revealed that metaphorical and metonymic mechanisms are involved in the use of these constructions. In the discussion section, these results are contextualized in light of the theoretical framework, highlighting the implications and relationships identified. Possible discrepancies and limitations of the study are also considered in this section. Research Implications: The practical and theoretical implications of this research are discussed, providing insights into how the results can be applied or influence practices in the portuguese language teaching. These implications could encompass to other areas of study, such as cognition. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature when highlighting that there is a pattern in linguistic change. The relevance and value of this research are evidenced by describing the change at different levels and the impact on Portuguese language teaching.
Many issues face construction grammar today. I start with the role of usage in construction grammar, and trace the changes in the usage-based model from mental storage to social interaction to evolution of populations of speakers and utterances. Just as speech communities and linguistic categories can be described as evolving populations, so can the construction grammar community and the theoretical concepts and formalisms that have evolved in it. Meaning remains the most challenging question for the future. Meaning is human experience, incredibly rich, and I suggest that construction grammar move away from mental representations to radical embodiment (existential phenomenology).
This study delves into the linguosynergetic approach to analyzing language within contemporary Ukrainian discourse, specifically through the lens of Serhiy Zhadan’s novel “Voroshilovgrad”. In this context, language is perceived as a complex adaptive system, characterized by nonlinear interactions and self-organization. By employing principles of linguosynergetics, such as open systems, non-linearity, self-organization, and bifurcations, the research uncovers the mechanisms through which language evolves in response to varying socio-cultural environments. The novel “Voroshilovgrad” serves as a quintessential example of this dynamic process. Through its narrative, the novel captures the essence of a society in flux, where linguistic elements are not merely passive conveyors of meaning but active participants in the creation of rich and multifaceted literary concepts. The concepts exemplify how language and culture are intertwined, each influencing and shaping the other in a continuous feedback loop. By integrating the principles of linguosynergetics, this study not only enhances our understanding of Zhadan’s work but also contributes to the broader field of linguistics and literary studies. It showcases the relevance of linguosynergetics in analyzing literary texts, particularly in contexts marked by rapid social and cultural transformations. Through this approach, the research underscores the intricate relationship between language and culture, affirming the significance of linguistic studies in interpreting and understanding the evolving narratives of post-Soviet societies. In sum, this study offers valuable insights into the dynamic processes through which language and culture interact, evolve, and coalesce to form the rich tapestry of contemporary Ukrainian discourse.
Although there is a large literature on referentiality, going back to at least the nineteenth and early twentieth century, much of this early work is based on constructed data and most of it is on English. The chapters in this volume contribute to a growing body of work that examines referentiality through naturalistic data in context. Taking an interactional approach to (non)referentiality, contributors to this volume ask how participants talk in real time about persons and things as individuals or as categories, and what distinguishes ‘referential’ from ‘nonreferential’, ‘specific’ from ‘nonspecific’, and ‘generic’ from ‘nongeneric’. Crucially, we ask whether these distinctions even matter to participants in conversation, and if they do, what the evidence for that would be. Contributors investigate these issues using data from conversational interaction in a variety of social contexts – including between close friends and family to more casual acquaintances, in service encounters, and between adults and children – and in a range of languages: English, Finnish, French, Indonesian, Japanese and Mandarin. Collectively, the chapters develop insights showing that reference is often fluid, dynamic, and indeterminate, that referential indeterminacy is typically unproblematic for participants, that shifts in referentiality tend to be tied to specific social goals, and that reference and referentiality emerge dialogically and interactionally.
We present evidence for iconicity as the motivation for two patterns of morphophonological alternation in Nigerian Pidgin, also known as Naijá. To express an ‘unconventional positive’ in all varieties of Naijá, some nouns with the tone melodies H-L and L-H surface with the tone melodies L-H and H-L, respectively. In addition to unconventional positive, the Wafi variety of Naijá also expresses ‘unconventional negative.’ In this case, the first syllable of bisyllabic nouns (analogously, the first foot of four-syllable nouns) is transposed with the second syllable. However, in onsetful monosyllabic nouns, the initial consonant is deleted to express an unconventional negative. We account for the metatheses and truncation using transderivational faithfulness constraints and other independent constraints. Expressing the notion of unconventionality by changing the prosaic linear order of phonological elements in a word is a kind of form-meaning resemblance. Similarly, the association of (unconventional) negative with a reduction in a string of segments is another pattern of iconicity. This suggests that crossmodal depiction of sensory imagery, in addition to articulatory and auditory factors, can motivate morphophonological patterns. The morphophonological metatheses and truncation in Naijá contribute to the typology of morphophonological alternations with iconicity as their motivation. Most importantly, these patterns run counter to the claim that pidgins and creoles have simplified morphophonology.
This special issue examines the question of how both formal(ist) and functional(ist) accounts or elements of theorizing can contribute to the explanation of (morpho)syntactic variation. Are formal and functional approaches really irreconcilable with each other, as often seems to be taken for granted by their respective advocates? It will be argued instead that they are rather complementary and that both can make a valuable contribution to explaining linguistic variation, in synchronic as well as diachronic respects. The integration of ways of looking at a certain phenomenon or problem from the respective other camp is proven to provide a significant added value and should not be excluded. The volume focuses on several Germanic languages and dialects, more specifically on German, Dutch, and Swedish varieties. It unites different formal and functional perspectives and, not least, it considers also semantic and phonological factors. The models covered include different versions of generative grammar, information-based morphology, construction grammar/construction morphology, natural morphology, and sociolinguistics.
This study aims to provide a socio-cognitive approach to understand how the identity associated with a social category is constructed through regular positioning acts in conventionalized genres. Using genre-based positioning analysis, we analyzed a corpus of 30 Italian rectors’ inaugural speeches and identified six rhetorical moves regularly used in the genre, which revealed three underlying positionings – representative of the university, value disseminator, and advocate – associated with the social role of university rectors in the Italian higher education context. Drawing on the Entrenchment and Conventionalization Model (hereafter ECModel), we analyzed how these positionings are conventionalized through shared conformity profiles of the genre in the onomasiological, semasiological, syntagmatic, and contextual dimensions. This study implies that genres can be important mediums through which the cognitive entrenchment and social conventionalization of positionings contribute to constructing our regular selves to be performed in the social domain.
Cognitive science is a cross-disciplinary enterprise devoted to understanding the nature of the mind. In recent years, investigators in philosophy, psychology, the neurosciences, artificial intelligence, and a host of other disciplines have come to appreciate how much they can learn from one another about the various dimensions of cognition. The result has been the emergence of one of the most exciting and fruitful areas of inter-disciplinary research in the history of science. This volume of original essays surveys foundational, theoretical, and philosophical issues across the discipline, and introduces the foundations of cognitive science, the principal areas of research, and the major research programs. With a focus on broad philosophical themes rather than detailed technical issues, the volume will be valuable not only to cognitive scientists and philosophers of cognitive science, but also to those in other disciplines looking for an authoritative and up-to-date introduction to the field.
Cognitive science is a cross-disciplinary enterprise devoted to understanding the nature of the mind. In recent years, investigators in philosophy, psychology, the neurosciences, artificial intelligence, and a host of other disciplines have come to appreciate how much they can learn from one another about the various dimensions of cognition. The result has been the emergence of one of the most exciting and fruitful areas of inter-disciplinary research in the history of science. This volume of original essays surveys foundational, theoretical, and philosophical issues across the discipline, and introduces the foundations of cognitive science, the principal areas of research, and the major research programs. With a focus on broad philosophical themes rather than detailed technical issues, the volume will be valuable not only to cognitive scientists and philosophers of cognitive science, but also to those in other disciplines looking for an authoritative and up-to-date introduction to the field.
Cognitive science is a cross-disciplinary enterprise devoted to understanding the nature of the mind. In recent years, investigators in philosophy, psychology, the neurosciences, artificial intelligence, and a host of other disciplines have come to appreciate how much they can learn from one another about the various dimensions of cognition. The result has been the emergence of one of the most exciting and fruitful areas of inter-disciplinary research in the history of science. This volume of original essays surveys foundational, theoretical, and philosophical issues across the discipline, and introduces the foundations of cognitive science, the principal areas of research, and the major research programs. With a focus on broad philosophical themes rather than detailed technical issues, the volume will be valuable not only to cognitive scientists and philosophers of cognitive science, but also to those in other disciplines looking for an authoritative and up-to-date introduction to the field.
Cognitive science is a cross-disciplinary enterprise devoted to understanding the nature of the mind. In recent years, investigators in philosophy, psychology, the neurosciences, artificial intelligence, and a host of other disciplines have come to appreciate how much they can learn from one another about the various dimensions of cognition. The result has been the emergence of one of the most exciting and fruitful areas of inter-disciplinary research in the history of science. This volume of original essays surveys foundational, theoretical, and philosophical issues across the discipline, and introduces the foundations of cognitive science, the principal areas of research, and the major research programs. With a focus on broad philosophical themes rather than detailed technical issues, the volume will be valuable not only to cognitive scientists and philosophers of cognitive science, but also to those in other disciplines looking for an authoritative and up-to-date introduction to the field.
Cognitive science is a cross-disciplinary enterprise devoted to understanding the nature of the mind. In recent years, investigators in philosophy, psychology, the neurosciences, artificial intelligence, and a host of other disciplines have come to appreciate how much they can learn from one another about the various dimensions of cognition. The result has been the emergence of one of the most exciting and fruitful areas of inter-disciplinary research in the history of science. This volume of original essays surveys foundational, theoretical, and philosophical issues across the discipline, and introduces the foundations of cognitive science, the principal areas of research, and the major research programs. With a focus on broad philosophical themes rather than detailed technical issues, the volume will be valuable not only to cognitive scientists and philosophers of cognitive science, but also to those in other disciplines looking for an authoritative and up-to-date introduction to the field.
Cognitive science is a cross-disciplinary enterprise devoted to understanding the nature of the mind. In recent years, investigators in philosophy, psychology, the neurosciences, artificial intelligence, and a host of other disciplines have come to appreciate how much they can learn from one another about the various dimensions of cognition. The result has been the emergence of one of the most exciting and fruitful areas of inter-disciplinary research in the history of science. This volume of original essays surveys foundational, theoretical, and philosophical issues across the discipline, and introduces the foundations of cognitive science, the principal areas of research, and the major research programs. With a focus on broad philosophical themes rather than detailed technical issues, the volume will be valuable not only to cognitive scientists and philosophers of cognitive science, but also to those in other disciplines looking for an authoritative and up-to-date introduction to the field.
Recent models of constructional networks combine vertical links between schemas and their subtypes with horizontal links between constructions at the same level of abstraction. It remains unclear, however, whether vertical and horizontal analyses express distinct information about the network, or whether one can be reformulated in terms of the other. In this paper, it is argued that vertical and horizontal links do not encode distinct cognitive mechanisms but that they are notational variants for representing a common notion of constructional similarity. The practical advantages of each notation are outlined, and some potential objections to the present account are addressed.
For decades, interdisciplinary research efforts have accumulated insights that diminish the significance of the classic nature versus nurture dichotomy, instead calling for a nuanced, multifactorial approach to ontogeny. Similarly, the role of genes in both phylogeny and ontogeny, once seen as rather deterministic, is now conceptualized as highly dependent on environmental factors, including behavior. Linguistic theories have, in principle, made an effort to incorporate these changing views. However, the central claim of the given paper is that this apparent compliance with biological insights remains superficial. As such, considerable disconnects between linguistic theory and what is known about the biological underpinnings of complex traits persist, negatively impacting pertinent views on language acquisition, language universals and the evolution of language. Given the breadth of these fields of study, the aim of this paper is to tackle the root of the problem: It begins by sketching out linguistic nativism as conceptualized within generativism, pointing to aspects within this position that stand in conflict with the interdisciplinary literature. It will then review select areas of research in a succinct manner in order to substantiate the criticism and characterize the counterposition as found within the biological sciences. The paper will culminate in addressing these disconnects on conceptual grounds, i.e. invoking the term emergence as employed in neuroscience as a possible means to reconcile those biological insights with linguistic nativism.
The subject of this study is the specifics of the implementation of the diachronic emergence of the text space on the example of hypertext. From the point of view of psycholinguistics and linguosynergetics, scientific interest is the result of understanding the text space. In this regard, the relevance of the research topic lies in the ambiguity of the movement of the text space, manifested in the increment of meaning as a result of prompting an individual to speech activity in order to project emotionally significant information. Such a process in linguosynergetic science is commonly called emergence. This phenomenon is the result of the perception of a creolized text, and also structures fragments of semantic and associative semantic fields. The article presents the results of a directed psycholinguistic experiment that demonstrated the process of increment of meaning formed as a result of the perception of a complex text formation. The methodology of the organization and conduct of experimental work is described. The scientific novelty of the research is reflected in the use of a new approach to the study of the specifics of the development of meaning. The directed psycholinguistic experiment made it possible to determine the role of emergence in the formation of the dynamics of semantic text space. Along with this, the possibilities of the phenomenon under study are highlighted, which are revealed in the formation of new systems, which is a demonstration of the movement of the text space. As a result, two groups of emergence components have been identified: the first is represented by comments developing the main idea, distributed by topics; the second is contradictions, which are logically contradictory statements that do not correspond to the topic of the stimulus material. In the course of the implementation of the information flow of the text, new meanings, thematic ramifications arise, the potential possibility of anticipating which is significant for diachronic emergence.
This state-of-the-art volume offers a comprehensive and accessible examination of perspectives within the field of discourse analysis on the processes and conditions of second language learning, teaching, and use. The collection brings together leading global researchers in the field to guide readers through background theories, theoretical paradigms, methodological issues, and pedagogical implications by synthesizing current and past work, and setting a future agenda for discourse-oriented second language research.
This article shows, using the example of number agreement, that an ecological perspective with a focus on the situation of the utterance (i.e. here-now-I-real) is an effective way to understand differences in grammar among individual languages and to identify commonalities above and beyond such differences. On the surface, English and Chinese would appear to be exact opposites in terms of whether or not they conform to the rule of number agreement, while the position of Japanese would appear to be ambivalent on this question. But in fact this is not the case. Numerous languages around the world are consistent in the way number distinction is more likely to arise the higher the subject’s position on the animacy hierarchy. Chinese and Japanese are no exceptions. Leaving aside differences in individual circumstances, languages differ only in the boundary lines on the animacy hierarchy where number distinction becomes obligatory. In order to reach the above understanding, it is essential to see animacy from an ecological perspective. Furthermore, an ecological perspective is essential as a principle for explaining levels of not only animacy but also self-expressiveness, esteem, and transitivity. The prevailing view of language as separate from the situation of the utterance requires considerable revision on the subject of grammar. ⁱ
I analyse the English causal connector because as used in the so-called because X constructions in terms of its word class membership. I show that three types of because can be distinguished based on syntactic criteria. Depending on the complement of the connector, because can be used as a conjunction, as a preposition, and as a member of a third category. I also show that prior to use, we can only talk about an abstract category potential of the connector, but not about its concrete category membership. It is only through the context of use that becomes category membership apparent. On a more general note, this means that linguistic categories should be understood as being emergent from language use, not essentialistically as existing before and being independent of language use.
This paper explores the ongoing semantic change of a discourse marker in Japanese social media. An analysis of 140 instances of the sentence-final tteyuu on Twitter, renamed X in July 2023, suggests that this discourse marker is shifting from a textual function of elaboration to a stance marker of lighthearted mockery. I argue this transition is attributed to its recurrent use in specific contexts, leading to invited inferences about the writer's intentions in expanding upon an idea, which extend beyond purely informational to interpersonal and social concerns. The functional ambiguity of these examples suggests an intermediate stage in tteyuu's evolution. The findings of this study underscore the centrality of pragmatic inferencing in semantic changes as well as the context-dependent nature of meaning creation.
This paper explores the range of uses associated with se constructions in Mexican Spanish. The validity of treating most se constructions as passives is under scrutiny. In contrast, a model to analyze the emergence of an important variety of impersonal interpretations is proposed. Arbitrary and quasi‐universal construals conform the base for finer interpretations for se constructions. In agreement with a usage‐based model, passive, impersonal and middle constructions are evaluated against four different genres which presumably determine the choice of se constructions for specific communicative necessities. While impersonal se constructions characterize journalistic writing and formal oral usage, middle se constructions are dominant in oral informal genres. Further specialization for impersonal se constructions, such as rules, norms, performative and arbitrary constructions are identified as a result of particular contexts determinacies.
As a core component of legal language used to draft, enforce and practice law, legal terms have fascinated lawyers, linguists, terminologists and other scholars for centuries. Third in the series, this Handbook offers a comprehensive compendium of the current state of knowledge on legal terminology. It is the first attempt to bring together perspectives from the domains of Terminology, Translation Studies, Linguistics, Law and Information Technology in a single place. This interdisciplinary endeavour comprises systematic reviews, case studies and research papers which overview key properties of legal terms and concepts, terminological tools and resources, training aspects, as well as translation in national contexts and multilingual organizations. The Handbook attests to the complex multifaceted nature of legal terminology and showcases its cultural, communicative, cognitive and social contexts in diverse legal systems. It is a rich resource for scholars, practitioners, trainers and students, presenting vibrant research and practice in this area.
For some time, linguists have agreed that (1) English is an SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) language and that (2) the purpose of this order is to indicate the difference between “John loves Mary” and “Mary loves John.” In contrast, Hebraists are still debating the first item.
According to Holmstedt, Biblical Hebrew is an SVO language with the Verb-Subject-Object ( VSO ) order being “triggered” from SVO . By contrast, Hornkohl, Khan, and van der Merwe maintain that Biblical Hebrew is a VSO language with the SVO being the “marked” order.
Hebraists rely on linguistic methods to answer these questions. This article evaluates the claims of the abovementioned authors from two perspectives: whether the linguistic methods they use are compatible (some approaches do not work well together) and whether the principles of their chosen linguistic method are followed. Suggestions for improvement for Khan and van der Merwe’s model are included.
This study explores the Hebrew ′ATA LO MEVIN (‘you don’t understand’) construction in a corpus of casual conversation. Employing the methodology of Interactional Linguistics and Multimodal Conversation Analysis, we show that deployment of this construction is fixed and formulaic and only rarely denotes the recipient’s lack of understanding. Based on a mostly synchronic analysis, we suggest a grammaticization path followed by this construction from a negative epistemic subject-predicate construction denoting literal lack of understanding to a discourse marker signaling the opening of a new narrative, while seeking recipient alignment with the speaker’s intensified affective stance. The path described reveals that embodied conduct, as well as prosodic, morphophonological, and syntactic features of the construction correlate with the weakening of its literal meaning. This sheds light on the uses speakers make of the construction, on how heightened engagement may be achieved in discourse, and on the dialogic nature of interaction and grammar.
Verbs of perception are known for their prolific use in various non-literal functions that are usually argued to have developed from their denotational semantics ( San Roque, Kendrick, Norcliffe & Majid 2018 ). In this study we document interactional practices involving the Estonian 2nd person verb form näed ’you see’ to demonstrate that its usage is anchored in face-to-face situations where the speaker guides a co-present other’s visual attention. Through multimodal analysis we show how näed is coordinated with the participants’ body orientations, gestures, and gazes to point to visually available proof for one’s current arguments, rendering it an evidential meaning even in its most “literal” uses of seeing, when a co-participant is invited to consider the visual evidence. We argue that the spatially anchored uses constitute a natural habitat of verbs of seeing, as visual perception is a mutually calibrated interactional accomplishment. Relevant syntactic constructions emerge in real time conversation where näed , calling for a visual orientation, is either preceded or followed by clausal specifications of what is to be seen, which makes it look like a particle. This challenges the argument that perception verbs start out as syntactic predicates in full clauses to then develop other uses.
More recently, grammaticalization theorists have become increasingly aware of the role of collocations in grammatical development. One of these roles is to define phonetic reductions and fusion in frequent collocations as con-structionalization. Based on frequency of occurrences, the present study explores the implications of high-frequency collocations in Turkish Sign Language for gramma-ticalization and offers a novel account of constructional change of DEĞİL 'not' on usage-based grounds. Specifically, the study suggests that (i) the chunking process is not language-specific within the spoken modality, as noted previously in the literature , (ii) the frequency of collocations is strongly correlated with phonetic reduction and duration, (iii) the fusional characteristics of [sign + DEĞİL] collocations can be classified under four reduced constructional schemas, (iv) the monosyllabicity of a scheme appears to be criterion for it to be productive in signed modality and (v) the semantic changes of frequent [sign + DEĞİL] collocations are related to the notion of subjectification in TİD.
Spontaneous speech is produced in chunks called Intonation Units (IUs). IUs are defined by a set of prosodic cues and presumably occur in all human languages. Recent work has shown that across different grammatical and socio-cultural conditions IUs form rhythms of approximately one unit per second. Linguistic theory suggests that IUs pace the flow of information in the discourse. As a result, IUs provide a promising and hitherto unexplored theoretical framework for studying the neural mechanisms of communication. In this article, we identify a neural response unique to the boundary defined by the IU. We measured the EEG of human participants (of either sex) who listened to different speakers recounting an emotional life event. We analyzed the speech stimuli linguistically, and modeled the EEG response at word offset using a GLM approach. We find that the EEG response to IU-final words differs from the response to IU-nonfinal words even when equating acoustic boundary strength. Finally, we relate our findings to the body of research on rhythmic brain mechanisms in speech processing. We study the unique contribution of IUs and acoustic boundary strength in predicting delta-band EEG. This analysis suggests that IU-related neural activity, which is tightly linked to the classic Closure Positive Shift, could be a time-locked component that captures the previously characterized delta-band neural speech tracking.
Significance Statement
Linguistic communication is central to human experience, and its neural underpinnings are a topic of much research in recent years. Neuroscientific research has benefited from studying human behavior in naturalistic settings, an endeavor that requires explicit models of complex behavior. Usage-based linguistic theory suggests that spoken language is prosodically structured in Intonation Units. We reveal that the neural system is attuned to Intonation Units by explicitly modeling their impact on the EEG response beyond mere acoustics. To our understanding, this is the first time this is demonstrated in spontaneous speech under naturalistic conditions, and under a theoretical framework that connects the prosodic chunking of speech, on the one hand, with the flow of information during communication, on the other.
The article is devoted to the interplay of discourse and grammar in the formation of sentential units in the Anglo-Saxon homilies of the 9th-11th centuries, created by notable homilists, namely, Ælfric (955-1020 сa.), Wulfstan (death date 1023 ca.), as well as anonymous authors in the miscellany “The Blickling Homilies”. The material under consideration helped us offer two prior assumptions. Firstly, the body of homilies in the specified historical period (total number – 28 units) constitutes a distinct variety of performative texts, which share a set of specific features, and which, in aggregate, make up a homiletic type of discourse. Secondly, foregrounding of finite verb in Old English sentence is a genre-dependent phenomenon that has been attested in the preaching texts and the epic poetry. In this article, the term homily (sermon) is unfolded as a discursive phenomenon that establishes a close link between preacher and congregation, and, as such, serves as a medium of communication. This type of communication involves the dynamic interdependence of participants, the constant tension and continuity of the process, which results in the consolidation of spiritual and didactic principles of believers. Linguistically, it is represented by a number of grammatical phenomena shared by the homilies in question, which include formulaic initial addresses of the preacher to the audience, numerical tautological or parallel phrases, alliterative constructions, deictic elements, etc. Anglo-Saxon priest’s “fatherly conversation” can be described in didactic and Christian dogmatic terms, the spirit and letter of which were especially relevant in the context of the old Germanic ethnic groups’ existentia at the beginning of the second millennium.
Key words: Anglo-Saxon, discourse, grammar, homiletic, performative, communication, foregrounding of verb
There is an emerging perspective in the discipline of linguistics that takes expressivity as one of the key components of human communication and grammatical structure. Expressivity refers to the use of grammar in natural languages to convey sensory information in a creative way, for example through reduplication, iconicity, ideophones and onomatopoeia. Expressives are more commonly associated with non-European languages, so their presence in European languages has so far been under-documented. With contributions from a team of leading scholars, this pioneering book redresses that balance by providing copious, detailed information about the expressive systems of a set of European languages. It comprises a collection of original surveys of expressivity in languages as diverse as Hungarian, Finnish, Turkish, Scots, German, Greek, Italian, Catalan, Breton and Basque, all with the common goal of challenging structuralist assumptions about the role of syntax, and showing how expressivity is both typologically diverse and universal.
This paper empirically investigates the evolution of the gerund and the present participle in Late Latin, and examines on the basis of this investigation the impact of their morphological merging in Old French on their categorial distinction. The results confirm the standard hypothesis of the evolution in Late Latin, but only partly: they support a specialisation of the gerund in adverbial syntax, but not of the present participle in adjectival syntax. Thus, the gerund shows signs of converbalisation, while the present participle does not undergo a process of participialisation. Like the gerund, the present participle has mostly adverbial syntax, and is as such more converb than participle-like. This similarity between the gerund and the present participle in Late Latin makes that their morphological merging in Old French raises a major issue for their categorial distinction. A considerable number of all Old French ant forms are categorially indeterminate, i.e. not categorisable as gerunds or present participles. This finding leads to the conclusion that the morphological merging of the gerund and the present participle in Old French causes these two forms to merge also on a categorial level. The label proposed for this blend is « -ant form ».
Cognitive science is a cross-disciplinary enterprise devoted to understanding the nature of the mind. In recent years, investigators in philosophy, psychology, the neurosciences, artificial intelligence, and a host of other disciplines have come to appreciate how much they can learn from one another about the various dimensions of cognition. The result has been the emergence of one of the most exciting and fruitful areas of inter-disciplinary research in the history of science. This volume of original essays surveys foundational, theoretical, and philosophical issues across the discipline, and introduces the foundations of cognitive science, the principal areas of research, and the major research programs. With a focus on broad philosophical themes rather than detailed technical issues, the volume will be valuable not only to cognitive scientists and philosophers of cognitive science, but also to those in other disciplines looking for an authoritative and up-to-date introduction to the field.
Cognitive science is a cross-disciplinary enterprise devoted to understanding the nature of the mind. In recent years, investigators in philosophy, psychology, the neurosciences, artificial intelligence, and a host of other disciplines have come to appreciate how much they can learn from one another about the various dimensions of cognition. The result has been the emergence of one of the most exciting and fruitful areas of inter-disciplinary research in the history of science. This volume of original essays surveys foundational, theoretical, and philosophical issues across the discipline, and introduces the foundations of cognitive science, the principal areas of research, and the major research programs. With a focus on broad philosophical themes rather than detailed technical issues, the volume will be valuable not only to cognitive scientists and philosophers of cognitive science, but also to those in other disciplines looking for an authoritative and up-to-date introduction to the field.
El análisis de autoría forense se basa en que cada hablante tiene su propia versión de una lengua o idiolecto cuyos rasgos lingüísticos son recurrentes de manera relativamente estable (Coulthard et al., 2011). En lingüística, hay una gran disparidad entre el conocimiento del concepto del idiolecto y su estudio con datos empíricos (Barlow, 2013). En esta investigación multigenérica (cross-genre, en inglés) cubrimos parte de estas lagunas, con datos de corpus escritos y orales del español mexicano. A través de un análisis de n-gramas de palabra, identificamos cuatro áreas de estabilidad idiolectal en español: lenguaje evaluativo y expresiones de cantidad, de modalidad deóntica y de modalidad epistémica. Nuestros resultados muestran que las construcciones gramaticales son útiles en el análisis de autoría, considerando el contexto forense, con análisis motivados lingüísticamente combinados con herramientas cuantitativas. Asimismo, proporcionamos un análisis lingüístico fundamentado en la teoría de la gramática de construcciones basada en el uso, la cual da cuenta adecuadamente del uso recurrente y particular de las construcciones idiolectales.
This conversation analytic study investigates the Japanese utterance-final expression jan, a plain variant of the negative interrogative sentence ending ja nai desu ka. This research argues that jan involves a practice of managing interactants' shared knowledge and establishing their common ground. With the practice, speakers accomplish various interactional tasks in backward- or forward-oriented manners. When placed in a responsive position, a jan-marked turn deals with a problem of a prior turn (backwardoriented). In contrast, when placed in a non-responsive position, a jan-marked utterance works to move an ongoing activity forward (forward-oriented). This study documents such interactional properties of jan by examining turn designs and sequential positions of jan as well as recipient responses to those jan-marked utterances. In doing so, this study claims that previously-researched characteristics of jan are not discrete but result from the management of epistemics in interaction that is realized in the jan's two directional
orientations.
* This study owes a great deal to the teaching and writings of Charles J. Fillmore; without his influence and advice, it would not have been written. I would also like to thank Pamela Downing, John Haiman, Paul Kay, Edith Moravcsik, and Karl Zimmer for many helpful comments.
1. The fact that, in ex. 1, the second and third noun pairs are preceded by von, whereas in ex. 1´ the definite article appears in the genitive case without a preposition, results from a case-marking constraint of modern German which is irrelevant for the present example (cf. §2.2).
2. A previous version of this paper contained a discussion of a number of more or less related phrases involving nouns without determiners. A phrase type that is obviously related to bare binominals involves three or more conjoined bare nouns. These BARE TRINOMIALS and BARE MULTINOMIALS occur with or without a conjunction before the last member:
a. Er bezahlte Milch, Butter und Honig und verließ den Laden 'He paid for milk, butter, and honey and left the store.'
b. Urahne, Großmutter, Mutter und Kind in dumpfer Stube beisammen sind 'Great-grand-mother, grandmother, mother, and child are together in a gloomy...
Newmeyer persuasively defends the controversial theory of transformational generative grammar. Grammatical Theory is for every linguist, philosopher, or psychologist who is skeptical of generative grammar and wants to learn more about it. Newmeyer's formidable scholarship raises the level of debate on transformational generative grammar. He stresses the central importance of an autonomous formal grammar, discusses the limitations of "discourse-based" approaches to syntax, cites support for generativist theory in recent research, and clarifies misunderstood concepts associated with generative grammar.
In summary, this research has investigated the effects of combined modality treatment (i.e., low linear energy transfer ionizing radiation and hyperthermia at 42.5 degrees C) on the survival responses of two tumour subpopulations (designated clones A and D) obtained from a heterogeneous human colon adenocarcinoma. A constant hyperthermic exposure (2 hours at 42.5 degrees C) was given either 3 min before or 3 min after graded exposure to X-rays. An isobologram analysis (Steel and Peckham 1979) of the clonogenic survival responses of the two tumour subpopulations showed that the clone A responses were within the envelope of additivity for either sequence of application. In contrast, the responses of the clone D tumour subpopulation exhibited a supra-additive response to the combined treatments with the sequence of heat followed by X-irradiation being somewhat more effective than the sequence of X-irradiation followed by heat. These data indicate that the responses of tumour subpopulations obtained from heterogeneous solid tumours to combined modality treatments may vary in an, at present, unpredictable manner.
Kesah Pelayaran Abdullah
- Abdul Qadir
Abdullah ibn Abdul Qadir. 1928. Kesah Pelayaran Abdullah. Singapore: Malaya Publishing
House. Malay Literature Series 2.
Northgate Toller. 1898. An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary
- Joseph Bosworth
Bosworth, Joseph, and T. Northgate Toller. 1898. An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary. Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
Competing motivations Iconicity in Language
- Du Bois
Du Bois, John. 1986. 'Competing motivations.' In John Haiman, ed., Iconicity in Language.
Amsterdam: John Benjamins BV. (Typological Studies in Language)
Linguistics', in: 'Major Trends in Research: 22 Leading Scholars Report on Their Fields
- Victoria Fromkin
Fromkin, Victoria. 1985. 'Linguistics', in: 'Major Trends in Research: 22 Leading Scholars
Report on Their Fields.' The Chronicle of Higher Education Sept. 4, 1985, pp. 12-13.
Structuralism and Diachrony: the development of the indefinite article in English
- Paul J Hopper
- Janice Martin
Hopper, Paul J., and Janice Martin. 1987. 'Structuralism and Diachrony: the development of
the indefinite article in English.' in Ramat, Anna Giacalone, Onofrio Carruba, and Guiliano
Bernini, eds. Papers from the 7th International Conference on Historical Linguistics.
Amsterdam: Benjamins.
Some observations on discourse and sentence grammar
- Jerry Morgan
Morgan, Jerry. 1981. 'Some observations on discourse and sentence grammar.' Studies in the
Linguistic Sciences 11: 137-144.
Two of the Saxon Chronicles, Parallel
- Charles Plummer
Plummer, Charles, ed. 1892. Two of the Saxon Chronicles, Parallel.... Edited on the basis of
an edition by John Earle. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Whither radical pragmatics?
- Jerry Sadock
Sadock, Jerry. 1984. 'Whither radical pragmatics?' In D. Tannen, ed., Georgetown
University Round Table Conference on Linguistics, 139-149.
Indo-European Origins of the Celtic Verb. Dublin: Institute of Advanced Studies
- Calvert Watkins
Watkins, Calvert. 1962. Indo-European Origins of the Celtic Verb. Dublin: Institute of
Advanced Studies.
- Ludwig Wittgenstein
Wittgenstein, Ludwig. 1958. Philosophical Investigations. Trans. G. E. Anscombe. 3rd
edition. New York: Macmillan.