Parameter Hierarchies and Universal Grammar

This book develops a minimalist approach to cross-linguistic morphosyntactic variation by organizing parameters of Universal Grammar into hierarchies and considering the interaction of language design factors. It provides a comprehensive analysis of various linguistic phenomena and appeals to researchers and students in theoretical linguistics and comparative syntax.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 736 pages
Publication date: 01 February 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press

This book presents a novel and minimalist approach to the study of cross-linguistic morphosyntactic variation. Ian Roberts contends that the core insight of the principles-and-parameters approach to variation can be retained, albeit in a slightly modified form, within the framework of the minimalist program for linguistic theory. The central idea revolves around organizing the parameters of Universal Grammar (UG) into hierarchies that delineate the ways in which properties of individually variant categories and features may interact and collaborate. A significant guiding principle, consistent with the overarching goal of the minimalist program to minimize the content of UG, is that the parameter hierarchies are not directly determined by UG but rather emerge as emergent properties resulting from the interplay of three crucial factors in language design.

The analysis of cross-linguistic variation in word order, null subjects, incorporation, verb-movement, case/alignment, wh-movement, and negation is conducted within the framework of this approach. This book constitutes a substantial and groundbreaking contribution to the formal study of cross-linguistic morphosyntactic variation on both empirical and theoretical fronts. It will be of interest to researchers and students engaged in all areas of theoretical linguistics and comparative syntax.

Weight: 1290g
Dimension: 172 x 245 x 46 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198871163