Reconstructing Grammar. Comparative Linguistics and Grammaticalization.

GILDEA, Spike (ed.)

ISBN 10: 9027229449 / ISBN 13: 9789027229441

Published by John Benjamins, 2003

About this Item

286 pages. In Stock.

Seller Inventory # __9027229449

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Reconstructing Grammar. Comparative Linguistics and Grammaticalization.
• Publisher: John Benjamins
• Publication Date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9027229449
• ISBN 13: 9789027229441
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Brand New
• Weight: 0.53 kilograms

About this title

Synopsis

Comparative linguistics and grammaticalization theory both belong to the broader category of historical linguistics, yet few linguists practice both. The methods and goals of each group seem largely distinct: comparative linguists have by and large avoided reconstructing grammar, while grammaticalization theoreticians have either focused on explaining attested historical change or used internal reconstruction to formulate hypotheses about processes of change. In this collection, some of the leading voices in grammaticalization theory apply their methods to comparative data (largely drawn from indigenous languages of the Americas), showing not only that grammar can be reconstructed, but that the process of reconstructing grammar can yield interesting theoretical and typological insights.