Function and Class in Linguistic Description: The Taxonomic Foundations of Grammar

The book discusses the traditional problem of classifying linguistic units, focusing on word classes. It presents a descriptive approach based on distinctive features similar to phonology, reworking traditional classification. The first part covers basic notions, prototype classification, and world knowledge. The second part examines descriptive problems such as verb valency, connectives, adverbs, and NP constituents. It is a valuable guide for linguists and students in linguistic theory and description.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 338 pages
Publication date: 24 September 2022
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

The book delves into the traditional challenge of categorizing linguistic units, primarily focusing on word classes. It adopts a descriptive approach rather than a theoretical one, drawing inspiration from the use of distinctive features in phonology. The first part introduces fundamental concepts such as distinctive features, the role of word classes in grammar, classification based on prototypes, and the utilization of world knowledge to establish thematic relations within sentences. The second part explores descriptive issues, including the classification of verbs based on valency, connectives, adverbs, and the internal constituents of the NP, as well as the categorization of units larger than words. This book serves as a valuable guide for linguists engaged in the description of natural languages and a resource for students in linguistic theory and description courses.

Weight: 460g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030781750
Edition number: 1st ed. 2021