LINGUIST List 6.294

Sat 25 Feb 1995

Books: Discourse, Pragmatics, Syntax

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DISCOURSE
Levinsohn, Stephen H.; DISCOURSE FEATURES OF TEN LANGUAGES OF
WEST-CENTRAL AFRICA; Pb.; ISBN: 0-88312-619-2; ix,241pp.; $30.00.
Summer Institute of Linguistics and University of Texas Arlington.
Twelve contributers describe discourse features of ten
Niger-Congo and Chadic languages of Cameroon and bordering
countries, using data that includes folktales and other
narratives. Discussions include how coherence is maintained,
participant reference, and markers of prominence and
backgrounding.
Internet: academic.bookssil.org Discourse; Africa
PRAGMATICS
Rudanko, Juhani. 1993. Pragmatic Approaches to Shakespeare. Essays
on Othello, Coriolanus and Timon of Athens.
 Lanham, New York and London: The University Press of America.
 Field: Pragmatics and its Application to Literature.
The book develops methods of linguistic pragmatics that can, it is
suggested, be applied to the study of dramatic dialogue in three
Shakespearean tragedies. As far as Othello is concerned, the methods
applied include topic analysis and case grammar analysis, the latter
applied to soliloquies; in the case of Coriolanus there is a focus
on speech act analysis, and as for Timon of Athens, it is proposed
that politeness theory sheds light on themes of the play. It
is argued that the practical application of methods of linguistic
pragmatics contributes to a better understanding of the three plays
as dramatic works of art and also leads to the further refinement
of the methods themselves as tools of analysis.
SYNTAX
The Malfrfpirannssknir (Linguist Research) series:
Volume I: Fridrik Magnusson: Kjarnafaersla og tad-innskot i
aukasetningum i islensku (Topicalization and tad-insertion in
Subordinate Clauses in Icelandic). Prize: USD 14.
The main theme of this work is a study on topicalization and
tad-insertion in Icelandic, the author giving a great many examples to
support his theory. He works whitin the generative tradition, and
begins the book with an introducion on generative grammar and
X'-theory. He also examines word order in Icelandic and related
languages and the methods of describing it.
Volume II: Eirikur Rognvaldsson: Um ordarod og faerslur i islensku (On
Word Order and Movement in Icelandic). Prize: USD 14.
The author's main subject is positional transformations in
Icelandic. He begins by giving an account of the basic structure of
Icelandic sentences, and then turns to movement, topicalization,
extraposition, indefinite subject-shift, and indefinite
NP-shift. Finally, he examines the role of movement and its
constraints.
To order the books from Malfrfpirannssknir (Linguist Research) series,
please write to:
Institute of Linguistics
University of Iceland
Arnagardur v/Sudurgotu
101 Reykjavik
Iceland
e-mail: malvisrhi.hi.is