LINGUIST List 12.2127

Tue Aug 28 2001

Books: Syntax

Editor for this issue: Naomi Ogasawara <naomilinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Jud Wolfskill, Syntax: Optimality-Theoretic Syntax

For more information please visit http://mitpress.mit.edu/0262122359

Optimality-Theoretic Syntax
edited by Geraldine Legendre, Jane Grimshaw, and Sten Vikner

Recent work in theoretical syntax has revealed the strong explanatory
power of the notions of economy, competition, and
optimization. Building grammars entirely upon these elements,
Optimality Theory syntax provides a theory of universal grammar with a
formally precise and strongly restricted theory of universal typology:
cross-linguistic variation arises exclusively from the conflict among
universal principles.

Beginning with a general introduction to Optimality Theory syntax,
this volume provides a comprehensive overview of the state of the art,
as represented by the work of the leading developers of the
theory. The broad range of topics treated includes morphosyntax (case,
inflection, voice, and cliticization), the syntax of reference
(control, anaphora, and pronominalization), the gammar of clauses
(complementizers and their absence), and grammatical and discourse
effects in word order. Among the theoretical themes running throughout
are the interplay between faithfulness and markedness, and various
questions of typology and of inventory.

Geraldine Legendre is Professor of Cognitive Science at Johns Hopkins
University. Jane Grimshaw is Professor of Linguistics and Vice Dean of
the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University. Sten Vikner is
Assistant Professor of Linguistics and of German Linguistics at the
University of Stuttgart.

Contributors

Peter Ackema, Judith Aissen, Eric Bakovic, Joan Bresnan, Hye-Won Choi,
Joao Costa, Jane Grimshaw, Edward Keer, Geraldine Legendre, Gereon
Muller, Ad Neeleman, Vieri Samek-Lodovici, Peter Sells, Margaret
Speas, Sten Vikner, Colin Wilson, Ellen Woolford.

7 x 9, 555 pp., paper ISBN 0-262-62138-X
cloth ISBN 0-262-12235-9

Language, Speech, and Communication series
A Bradford Book