Complementarity Between Lexis and Grammar in the System of Person: A Systemic Typological Approach

Pin Wang

ISBN 10: 0367516705 / ISBN 13: 9780367516703

Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2020

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: Complementarity Between Lexis and Grammar in the System of Person: A Systemic Typological Approach
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Publication Date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0367516705
• ISBN 13: 9780367516703
• Binding: Paperback / softback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 189 grams

About this title

Synopsis

This book investigates the lexico-grammatical complementarity in language in its construal of person as a semantic system. Given the vast and wide spectrum of resources for expressing distinctions in the assignment of person roles in language, this book presents person-related system networks covering a rich range of semantic features. It also studies the system of person in relation to other major semantic systems instead of regarding it as one isolated component of language parallel to gender, number, case, etc. Systemic features of person are in turn realized by lexicogrammar, whose components, lexis and grammar form a relationship of complementarity in the process of transforming human experience into meaning. Person-related meaning can be either realized by lexical means, i.e. entity, process, quality, or grammatical means, i.e. pronouns, clitics, affixes, zero forms. Besides, such meaning is also found to be realized at some indeterminate areas along the lexis-grammar continuum. A special feature of this book is that it observes the lexicalization and grammaticalization of person based on evidence from a variety of languages. Readers will be presented a comprehensive look into the meaning of person and will be encouraged to reflect on its realization in their own languages.

About the Author

Pin Wang is a lecturer in the School of Foreign Languages at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, teaching English and Sanskrit. His research interests are: Systemic Theory, Functional Grammar, and Functional Language Typology, with particular focus on classical languages (e.g. Sanskrit) and minority languages of China (e.g. Tibetan).