An Introduction to Syntax Fundamentals of

This comprehensive introduction to syntax explains the basic concepts of syntax, and how the structures which are in place for describing the world can also be applied to a description of language structure. Edith Moravcsik presents a detailed introductio

Edith A. Moravcsik is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Preface

viii

Symbols and Abbreviations

xiii

Chapter 1 What is Syntax?

1

(27)

1 Preliminaries

1

(5)

2 Studying the world

6

(10)

2.1 Explanation

6

(6)

2.2 Observation

12

(1)

2.3 Description

13

(3)

3 Studying language

16

(5)

3.1 Overview

16

(1)

3.2 Structure

16

(3)

3.3 Function

19

(1)

3.4 Location

19

(2)

4 Why do languages have syntax?

21

(3)

5 Conclusions

24

(1)

Notes

25

(1)

Exercises

26

(2)

Chapter 2 Linear Order

28

(35)

1 Preliminaries

28

(2)

2 Temporal relations: some possibilities

30

(7)

2.1 The general schema

30

(1)

2.2 Relations

31

(2)

2.3 Terms

33

(1)

2.4 Context

34

(1)

2.5 Modalities

34

(1)

2.6 Summary

35

(2)

3 Temporal relations in syntax: some facts

37

(19)

3.1 Relations

37

(6)

3.2 Terms

43

(12)

3.3 Context

55

(1)

3.4 Modalities

56

(1)

4 Conclusions

56

(4)

Notes

60

(1)

Exercises

61

(2)

Chapter 3 Selection

63

(38)

Preliminaries

63

(3)

2 Selection: some possibilities

66

(3)

3 Selection in syntax: some facts

69

(25)

3.1 Order and selection

69

(2)

3.2 The selection of words

71

(6)

3.3 The selection of word forms

77

(14)

3.4 A comparison of word selection and word form selection

91

(3)

4 Conclusions

94

(5)

Notes

99

(1)

Exercises

99

(2)

Chapter 4 Categories

101

(39)

1 Preliminaries

101

(4)

2 Partonomy and taxonomy: some possibilities

105

(10)

2.1 Unequal parts and unequal subtypes

109

(3)

2.2 Parts that belong to more than one whole and tokens that belong to more than one type

112

(3)

3 Partonomy and taxonomy in syntax: some facts

115

(21)

3.1 Selection and inventory

115

(3)

3.2 The birth of a syntactic category

118

(3)

3.3 The partonomic and taxonomic status of nouns

121

(6)

3.4 Complex patterns of syntactic partonomy and taxonomy

127

(9)

4 Conclusions

136

(1)

Notes

137

(1)

Exercises

137

(3)

Chapter 5 Syntax, Meaning and Sound Form

140

(39)

1 Preliminaries

140

(4)

2 Symbolic correspondence: some possibilities

144

(7)

3 Symbolic correspondence ill syntax: some facts

151

(21)

3.1 Syntactic structure and meaning

151

(18)

3.2 Syntactic structure and sound form

169

(3)

4 Conclusions

172

Notes

171

(4)

Exercises

175

(4)

Chapter 6 Variation and Change

179

(35)

1 Preliminaries

179

(3)

2 Variation and change: some possibilities

182

(9)

3 Syntactic variation

191

(12)

3.1 Verb agreement

191

(3)

3.2 Constituent order

194

(3)

3.3 Accusative and ergative systems

197

(6)

4 Syntactic change

203

(7)

4.1 The historical evolution of definite articles

204

(3)

4.2 The first-language acquisition of wh-questions

207

(3)

5 Conclusions

210

(1)

Notes

211

(1)

Exercises

212

(2)

Chapter 7 Explaining Syntax

214

(37)

1 Preliminaries

214

(3)

2 Structural explanations

217

(8)

2.1 Wh-questions in English

217

(4)

2.2 Relative clauses in Basque

221

(4)

3 Evolutionary explanations

225

(11)

3.1 Direct objects in French

225

(4)

3.2 Direct and indirect objects in English

229

(7)

4 Functional explanations

236

(10)

4.1 Co-oordinate ellipsis in English and Japanese

238

(5)

4.2 Constituent order in Mandarin Chinese

243

(3)

5 Conclusions

246

(1)

Notes

247

(2)

Exercises

249

(2)

Glossary

251

(8)

References

259

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An Introduction to Syntax Fundamentals of Syntactic Analysis

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials