Contemporary Linguistic Parameters

Parameters have lain at the core of linguistic research in the generative tradition for decades. The theoretical questions they have raised are deep and broad: this reference text investigates how contemporary linguistics has best tried to answer them.

This book looks at how parameters might be properly defined and what their locus might be :lexical information, functional heads, the computational system, the phonological branch of the grammar. What kind of data forms trigger acquisition of a parameter? Are parameters necessary or can we study languages without making reference to them?

The questions looked at are not just theoretical: how can a theory of parameters be used to help understand second language acquisition, and what contributions can it make to the study of language typology?

This is the right time to gather all this information, dispersed in many different kinds of publications by single authors and groups, into one comprehensive volume.

Antonio Fábregas is Professor of Hispanic Linguistics, University of Tromsø, Norway.

Jaume Mateu is Associate Professor of Catalan & Linguistics, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain.

Michael Putnam is Associate Professor of German and Linguistics, Penn State University, USA.

Part I. Prolegomena
1. Parameters in linguistic theory: what, where and how, Antonio Fábregas, Jaume Mateu & Mike T. Putnam
Part II. Main morphosyntactic parameters
2. Morphological parameters, Antonio Fábregas
3. Case. Ergative languages, Michelle Sheehan
4. Head directionality, Hubert Haider
5. Parameters and argument structure I: motion predicates and resultatives, Víctor Acedo-Matellán & Jaume Mateu
6. Parameters and argument structure II: causatives and applicatives, María Cristina Cuervo
7. The functional structure of the clause: main issues, Martina Wiltschko
8. Extended projections of V: aspect, Jonathan E. MacDonald
9. Null subjects, Roberta D'Alessandro
10. Head movement in the clausal domain, Ángel J. Gallego & Juan Uriagereka
11. Wh-movement, Željko Boškovic
12. Topic and focus, Jordi Fortuny
13. The functional structure of N, Asya Pereltsvaig
Part III. Parameters beyond morphosyntax
14. Parameters in phonological analysis: stress, Marc van Oostendorp
15. Parameters in Language Acquisition and Language Contact, Nina Hyams, Victoria Mateu, Robyn Ortfitelli, Michael Putnam, Jason Rothman & Liliana Sánchez
Index

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