Basic Linguistic Theory, Volume 1: Methodology

398 Pages·2009·2.638 MB·English

by  R. M. W. Dixon

Basic Linguistic Theory 1
Basic Linguistic Theory
R. M. W. Dixon
ThethreevolumesofBasicLinguisticTheoryprovideanewandfundamental
characterizationofthenatureofhumanlanguagesandacomprehensiveguide
totheirdescriptionandanalysis.Thefirstvolumeaddressesthemethodology
for recording, analysing,and comparing languages. Volume 3 (which will be
published in 2011) examine and explain every underlying principle of gram-
maticalorganizationandconsiderhowandwhygrammarsvary.
Volume1
Methodology
Volume2
GrammaticalTopics
Volume3
FurtherGrammaticalTopics(inpreparation)
AcompletelistofR.M.W.Dixon’sbooksmaybefoundonpp.380–1
Basic Linguistic
Theory
Volume 1 Methodology
R. M. W. DIXON
TheCairnsInstitute
JamesCookUniversity
1
3
GreatClarendonStreet,Oxfordox26dp
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ISBN 978-0-19-957105-5(Hbk)
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Outline contents for whole work
Volume 1 Methodology
1 Basics 1
2 Principlestofollow 57
3 Grammaroverview 92
4 Analysis,argumentation,andexplanation 182
5 Terminology 214
6 Doingtypology 242
7 Phonology 264
8 Lexicon 289
9 Fieldlinguistics 309
Volume 2 Grammatical Topics
10 Grammaticalwordandphonologicalword 1
11 Distinguishingnounandverb 37
12 Theadjectiveclass 62
13 Transitivity 115
14 Copulaclausesandverblessclauses 159
15 Pronounsanddemonstratives 189
16 Possession 262
17 Relativeclauseconstructions 313
18 Complementclausesandcomplementationstrategies 370
Volume 3 Further Grammatical Topics
Thisisplannedtoincludethefollowingchapters
Non-spatialsetting
Nouncategorizationdevices
Numbersystems
Negation
Reflexivesandreciprocals
Passives,antipassives,andgeneralintransitivizingderivations
Causatives
Applicatives
Serialverbconstructions
Pivots,andswitch-reference
Comparativeconstructions
Nounincorporation
Interrogatives
Imperatives
Cultureandlanguage,somecorrelations
Contents
Listoftablesandfigures x
Howtoreadthisbook xi
Preface xii
Abbreviationsandconventions xiv
1. Basics 1
1.1. Whatthisbookisabout 1
1.2. Linguisticsasabranchofnaturalscience 1
1.3. Prototypicalpatternsandvariationsonthem 4
1.4. Grammaticallabels 9
1.5. Limitationsofalanguage 12
1.6. Whyiseachlanguagethewayitis? 14
1.7. Meaninganditsorganizationinalanguage 22
1.8. Agrammarasanintegratedsystem 24
1.9. Grammarandmeaning 27
1.10. Thebasicsofgrammar 35
1.11. Grammarandlexicon 47
Sourcesandnotes 54
2. PrinciplestoFollow 57
2.1. Writingagrammar 57
2.2. Alwaysgobacktotheprimarysources 64
2.3. Unfashionableissues 66
2.4. Avoidthefashionfads 70
2.5. Avoidsloppyterminology 75
2.6. Howtolearnlinguistics 80
Sourcesandnotes 90
3. GrammarOverview 92
3.1. Basicunits:wordandclause 92
3.2. Theclause 93
3.3. Thetwomajorwordclasses,NounandVerb 102
3.4. Phrases 106
3.5. Clausestructureandwordclasses 110
3.6. Adjectives 112
3.7. Pronouns,demonstratives,andinterrogatives 114
3.8. Syntacticspecificationofspaceandtime 118
contents vii
3.9. Markingofcoreandperipheralarguments 122
3.10. Complementclauses 128
3.11. Thesentence 132
3.12. Negation 137
3.13. Morphology 138
3.14. Derivations 149
3.15. Non-spatialsetting 152
3.16. Nounclassesandgenders,andclassifiers 155
3.17. Numbersystems 158
3.18. Definiteness 160
3.19. Dependenciesbetweengrammaticalsystems 162
3.20. Changingvalency 165
3.21. Topicandpivot 171
3.22. Argumentidentity:reflexivesandreciprocals 175
3.23. Comparativeconstructions 177
Sourcesandnotes 179
4. Analysis,Argumentation,andExplanation 182
4.1. Whatislinguisticanalysis? 182
4.2. Analysesshouldbeclearandplausible 184
4.3. Argumentationneededtojustifyananalysis 186
4.4. Choosingbetweenalternativeanalyses 191
4.5. Differentanalysesforvaryingpurposes 194
4.6. Differentanalysesofsimilardata 196
4.7. Intertwiningoflevels 199
4.8. Encounteringtheunexpected 201
4.9. Explanation 205
Sourcesandnotes 213
5. Terminology 214
5.1. Grammarandlexicon 214
5.2. Morphology 217
5.3. Inflectionandderivation 218
5.4. Clitic,affix,andadposition 221
5.5. Morphologicaltypes 226
5.6. Syntax 228
5.7. Markedness 235
Sourcesandnotes 240
6. DoingTypology 242
6.1. Requirementforconsistentanalysis 243
6.2. Whatshouldbecompared 247
6.3. Phonologicaltypology 249
6.4. Grammaticaltypology 251
viii contents
6.5. Lexicaltypology 255
6.6. Thequestionofsampling 257
Sourcesandnotes 261
7. Phonology 264
7.1. Phonemes 264
7.2. Consonants 266
7.3. Vowels 273
7.4. Phonotacticsandsyllables 275
7.5. Prosodies 279
7.6. Stress 280
7.7. Balancingparsimonyandclarity 283
7.8. Orthography 286
Sourcesandnotes 287
8. Lexicon 289
8.1. Organizingthelexicon 291
8.2. Constructingalexicon 296
8.3. Structureofthelexicon 300
8.3.1. Nouns 302
8.3.2. Adjectives 304
8.3.3. Verbs 305
Sourcesandnotes 307
9. FieldLinguistics 309
9.1. Thefundamentals 309
9.1.1. Whatislinguisticfieldwork? 309
9.1.2. Whydoit? 309
9.1.3. Poorreasonsfordoingfieldwork 310
9.2. Gettingstarted 311
9.2.1. Theethicsoffieldwork 311
9.2.2. Howtochoosealanguage 311
9.2.3. Fieldworklocations 314
9.3. Workinginthefield 315
9.3.1. Howtodoit 315
9.3.2. Whattoget 318
9.3.3. Whattodo 320
9.3.4. Otherfieldworksituations 325
9.4. Makingsureyouhaveitright 326
9.5. Whatnottodo 326
Appendix1 Describingthefieldworksituation 328
Appendix2 PlanningafieldworkPhD 329
Appendix3 Fieldmethodscourses 329
Note 330
contents ix
Glossary 331
References 342
CombinedindicesforVolume1andVolume2
AuthorIndex 356
LanguageIndex 364
SubjectIndex 372