In their subject matter and in their theoretical orientation all the papers in this volume reflect the powerful influence of T. Givón. Most of them deal with questions of morphosyntactic typology, pragmatics, and grammaticalization theory. Many of them are directly based on extensive fieldwork on local languages of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Others are based on statistical analyses of extensive written and spoken corpora of texts.
(abridged and revised) This reference grammar offers intermediate and advanced students a reason ably comprehensive guide to the morphology and syntax of educated speech and plain prose in Spain and Latin America at the end of the twentieth century. Spanish is the main, usually the sole official language of twenty-one countries,} and it is set fair to overtake English by the year 2000 in numbers 2 of native speakers. This vast geographical and political diversity ensures that Spanish is a good deal less unified than French, German or even English, the latter more or less internationally standardized according to either American or British norms. Until the 1960s, the criteria of internationally correct Spanish were dictated by the Real Academia Espanola, but the prestige of this institution has now sunk so low that its most solemn decrees are hardly taken seriously - witness the fate of the spelling reforms listed in the Nuevas normas de prosodia y ortograjia, which were supposed to come into force in all Spanish-speaking countries in 1959 and, nearly forty years later, are still selectively ignored by publishers and literate persons everywhere. The fact is that in Spanish 'correctness' is nowadays decided, as it is in all living languages, by the consensus of native speakers; but consensus about linguistic usage is obviously difficult to achieve between more than twenty independent, widely scattered and sometimes mutually hostile countries. Peninsular Spanish is itself in flux.
The dictionary example is the culminating component of the information presented in articles of dictionaries intended for language learning. This study analyses the example comprehensively: its provenance, its theoretical status, its distinction from multiword lexical units (to be presented as infralemmas), types and specific functions. The example not only illustrates the data provided by the definition, the equivalent, the grammatical, collocational and pragmatic items, but also provides valuable complementary information on the use of each lexical unit described. Examples are models with which users can form other sentences but are also instantiations of the language that escape systematicity and reflect unpredictable but real uses. Theoretical reflection on the theory of the example (with special emphasis on the bilingual), analysis of how (especially bilingual) dictionaries present examples and what kind of information each type of example provides can assist lexicographers in planning their dictionaries and making theoretically based choices when it comes to the selection and presentation of examples.
This volume brings together 18 original papers dealing with voice-related phenomena.The languages dealt with represent both typological and geographic diversity, ranging from accusative-type languages to ergative-type and Philippine-type languages, and from Australia to Africa and Siberia. The studies presented here open up many possibilities for theorizing and offer data inviting formal treatments, but the most important contribution they make is in terms of the insights they offer for a better understanding of the fundamentals of voice phenomena.
First published in 1984, The Passive surveys a wide range of different constructions, which have all been termed ‘passives’ by linguists, using data from a large number of genetically and typologically diverse languages. Chapter 1 raises questions about the nature of passives and exposes some of the difficulties inherent in the traditional assumptions. Chapter 2 examines the ‘personal passive’ and includes a discussion on the relationship between the passive and transitivity. Chapter 3 to 5 deal with impersonal, periphrastic and reflexive passives, exploring the varied problems raised by each construction and focusing particularly on English and Southeast Asian languages. The two final chapters look at various attempts to explain exceptions to the passive in both semantic and syntactic terms, with an additional section on pragmatics. This book will appeal to all of those involved in the field of comparative linguistics.
A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish is a comprehensive, cohesive and clear guide to the forms and structures of Spanish as it is written and spoken today in Spain and Latin-America. It includes clear descriptions of all the main grammatical phenomena of Spanish, and their use, illustrated by numerous examples of contemporary Spanish, both Peninsular and Latin-American, formal and informal. Fully revised and updated, the sixth edition is even more relevant to students and teachers of Spanish. The sixth edition includes: • new chapters, providing more detail and examples of key areas of Spanish grammar; • an increased number of Mexican examples to reflect the growing interest in this country’s variety of Spanish; • new information for readers studying Spanish and French together; • a glossary of grammatical terms including English translations of Spanish terms. The combination of reference grammar and manual of current usage is invaluable for learners at level B2–C2 of the Common European Framework for Languages, and Intermediate High–Advanced High on the ACTFL proficiency scales.
A Grammar of Arabic models a new framework for studying varieties of Arabic comparatively, highlighting the patterns of variation and consistency, and showing how different styles, from primarily spoken and casual to primarily written and formal, are linguistically interrelated. This non-traditional reference grammar is structured around patterns of usage rather than prescriptive rules, aligning function with form and taking advantage of general principles of language. Using data from Classical Arabic, Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic, and dialects spoken in Morocco, Egypt, Sudan, the Levant, Iraq, and the Arabian Gulf, this grammar examines the actual usage of these language varieties, broadening understanding of Arabic dialects from a linguistics perspective while also giving readers the ability to engage language diversity. Designed for instructors, researchers, and advanced students of Arabic, A Grammar of Arabic explores Arabic from an internally comparative perspective that will also be valuable to theoretical linguists.
This textbook boosts the confidence of persons teaching Spanish as a second language, who may lack confidence in their understanding of tricky areas of expression. Their previous training did not enable them to control (much less explain to others) the many “danger zones” which challenge graduate students serving as teaching assistants, in-service teachers, and others who use Spanish professionally. It offers original and insightful analyses, abundant examples and helpful English comparisons. It dismantles the machinery of grammar into manageable parts. It is not intended for those wishing to learn Spanish (since it skips the basics to focus on the “rough spots”), but for those who know Spanish well, yet need to overcome their nagging limitations in crucial areas, e.g. subjunctive, reflexives, pronouns (neuter, relative, personal), adjective placement, ser/estar, preterite/imperfect, commands, gender, passive and impersonal expressions. There are special sections on words easily confused with each other, use of the accent mark, irregular verbs, and sentence structure. It is ideal for self-study or to supplement courses in composition, culture and Spanish linguistics. It benefits native-speaker teachers unfamiliar with the “why” of their language. The result is a better prepared teacher and a more promising learning experience for the students.
Understanding and Teaching Reflexive Sentences in Spanish provides a fresh, simple, and novel approach to understanding and teaching the use of the intransitivizing se. Understanding reflexive sentences can be challenging for learners of Spanish. Instead of expecting learners to memorize multiple rules, the author offers one simple rule that allows learners to intuitively understand and use reflexive sentences. Sample exercises for students at all levels of language proficiency are also provided to practice and internalize the new approach. This book will be of interest to teachers and learners of any second language, as well as linguists interested in second language acquisition or in second language teaching or pedagogy.
