17.3056, Books: Semantics/Syntax: Yamamoto

Wed Oct 18 13:11:59 UTC 2006

LINGUIST List: Vol-17-3056. Wed Oct 18 2006. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 17.3056, Books: Semantics/Syntax: Yamamoto

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1)
Date: 17-Oct-2006
From: Paul Peranteau < paul at benjamins.com >
Subject: Agency and Impersonality: Yamamoto 

-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 09:10:39
From: Paul Peranteau < paul at benjamins.com >
Subject: Agency and Impersonality: Yamamoto 

Title: Agency and Impersonality 
Subtitle: Their Linguistic and Cultural Manifestations 
Series Title: Studies in Language Companion Series 78  

Publication Year: 2006 
Publisher: John Benjamins
	   http://www.benjamins.com/

Book URL: http://www.benjamins.com/cgi-bin/t_bookview.cgi?bookid=SLCS%2078 

Author: Mitsumi Yamamoto

Hardback: ISBN: 9027230889 Pages: 152 Price: U.S. $ 119.00
Hardback: ISBN: 9027230889 Pages: 152 Price: Europe EURO 99.00

Abstract:

In this monograph the author probes the fundamental nature of the concept
of agency and its importance to human language and cognition. Whereas
previous studies focused on grammatical manifestations this original work
addresses such issues as the strong relationship between agency and
responsibility, a philosophical interpretation of the concept of agency and
a variety of epistemic attitudes towards agency that strongly influence our
view of the world. Different cultures and languages process and express
agency differently. To illustrate the co-relation between the linguistic
expressions of agency and cultural stereotypes that lurk behind individual
natural languages, the author analyses Japanese and English parallel
corpora. It is shown that English tends to highlight agency in expressing
actions and events, whereas Japanese largely obfuscates agency through
impersonalising potential agents. Through the case studies on these
languages this book sheds light on the close connection between language,
thought and culture and contributes to the resurging interest in linguistic
relativity. 

Table of contents

Acknowledgements  ix  
List of Abbreviations  xi  
1. Introduction  1-9  
2. What is agency?  11-37  
3. Linguistic treatment of agency and its manifestations in Japanese and
English: With reference to the concept of 'impersonality'  39-69  
4. Agency, impersonality and world-view: With reference to linguistic and
socio-cultural relativity  71-117  
5. Some enigmas concerning agency, impersonality and 'reality'  119-130  
Notes  131-136  
References  137-144  
Index  145-151 

Linguistic Field(s): Semantics
                     Syntax

Subject Language(s): English (eng)
                     Japanese (jpn)

Written In: English  (eng)

See this book announcement on our website: 
http://linguistlist.org/get-book.html?BookID=21843

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