New Publication: Determinants of Grammatical Variation in English (2003)

[Julia Ulrich]

New from MOUTON DE GRUYTER!!!

>From the series

TOPICS IN ENGLISH LINGUISTICS

Series Editors: Bernd Kortmann and Elizabeth Closs Traugott


DETERMINANTS OF GRAMMATICAL VARIATION IN ENGLISH
Edited by Günter Rohdenburg and Britta Mondorf

2003. vi, 564 pages.
Euro 84.00 /sFr 134,- / approx. US$ 84.00
ISBN 3-11-017647-5
(Topics in English Linguistics 43)


What factors influence the choice between alternative grammatical structures
such as the following: a lit / lighted cigarette, more full / fuller of
convincing arguments, the main thesis of the book / the book´s main thesis,
take hostage a group of 15 holidaymakers / take a group of 15 holidaymakers
hostage, conceding that the argument is convincing / conceding the argument
to be convincing? This is the central issue explored in this volume, which
contains a unique selection of innovative in-depth empirical studies written
in a broadly functional framework.

The factors investigated include the following: phonological influences
(such as the principle of rhythmic alternation and optimal syllable
structure), frequency, pervasive semantic and pragmatic aspects (including
iconicity, markedness, gram-maticalization and typological tendencies),
information structure, processing complexity and horror aequi (the avoidance
of identity effects).

This volume is essential reading for everyone in the field of English
grammar and all those interested in how functionalism can be brought to bear
in illuminating language structure and use.


>From the contents:

Manfred Krug
Frequency as a determinant in grammatical variation and change

Julia Schlüter
Phonological determinants of grammatical variation in English: Chomsky's
worst possible case

Thomas Wasow and Jennifer Arnold
Post-verbal constituent ordering in English

Stefan Th. Gries
Grammatical variation in English: A question of 'structure vs. function'?

John A. Hawkins
Why are zero-marked phrases close to their heads?

Günter Rohdenburg
Cognitive complexity and horror aequi as factors determining the use of
interrogative clause linkers in English

Britta Mondorf
Support for more-support

Uwe Vosberg
The role of extractions and horror aequi in the evolution of -ing-
complements in Modern English

Christian Mair
Gerundial complements after begin and start: Grammatical and sociolinguistic
factors, and how they work against each other

Dirk Noël
Is there semantics in all syntax? The case of accusative and infinitive
constructions vs. that-clauses

Anette Rosenbach
Aspects of iconicity and economy in the choice between the s-genitive and
the of-genitive in English

Anatol Stefanowitsch
Constructional semantics as a limit to grammatical alternation: The two
genitives of English

Olga C. M. Fischer
Principles of grammaticalization and linguistic reality

Peter Siemund Varieties of English from a cross-linguistic perspective:
Intensifiers and reflexives

Lieselotte Anderwald
Non-standard English and typological principles: The case of negation

Sali A. Tagliamonte
'Every place has a different toll': Determinants of grammatical variation in
cross-variety perspective.




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