LL-L "Resources" 2001.11.07 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 07.NOV.2001 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: frank verhoft <frank_verhoft at yahoo.com>
Subject: Resources

Dear Ian, beste Laaglanders

In a mail dd. 06.NOV.2001 (04) I asked about
information on writing grammar books, to which Ian
replied:
"I'm afraid I cannot help, but I will be most
interested in the answers! I know some people on this
list have written grammar books or 'teach yourself'
guides, so no doubt they will be of assistance."

First of all, I hope this thread is not too off topic
for this list.

If not, I'd like to forward the answers I received so
far through other mailing lists.

Many thanks,

Best regards,

Frank Verhoft

***
The first mail mentions "ANS", which is the
abbreviation of "Algemene Nederlands Spraakkunst"
(lit. General Dutch Grammar), a massive,
comprehensive, two volume Dutch grammar book (grammar
bible, even).

***
Mail 1:

ehm, the ANS perhaps? <evil laughter>

but seriously, I think if you'd like to write a
grammar book you should try to find out how other
grammar books function. The ANS has a pretty good
introduction, although I doubt you want to go that
way. Not that they haven't done a good job [I like the
way they think ;-)], it is just that that has already
been done. Maybe you could write a grammarbook based
on LFG? I dunno, it would be interesting to say the
least [moreover, because I do not know that much about
LFG]. The first problem you will have to tackle
is: 'what kind of approach will I use to describe the
grammar', which is irrelevant of the language whose
grammar you want to describe. Or maybe you wish to
prescribe, that is also an option. I am afraid I am
not much help to you, it is just my opinion that I
feel a checklist to write a grammarbook would be so
weird. If you would compare for example the ANS and
'Woordvolgorde in het Nederlands' by Van der Lubbe:
they both describe the dutch language, yet imo quite
differently. Or take Jackendoff's 'Semantic
Structures', again a whole different approach.

There is imo only one thing absolutely necessary and
that is LOGIC. If you write your own grammar for a
language, make sure it WORKS. Like a computerprogram:
make sure you falsify it and if that is possible: go
back to the drawingboard! If you write a grammarbook
for others to use: use LOTS of helpful examples. And
the best is to start with the verbum or the tenses
[depends on what kind of approach you choose ;-)].

hopes this helps a bit,
i tend to not think that logic today, they say it is
the moon ;-)
all the best,
edwin

ps: anyone knows where to find information on LFG? I
already found <http://www-lfg.stanford.edu/lfg/>. and
by the by: are you lots subscribed to any linguistic
magazine? I used to read 'Brain and language' in the
library, it was way to expensive to take my own
subscription :-(

***
Mail 2:

Hi Frank,

The best guide I have found for writing a grammar from
the ground up is LANGUAGE ACQUISITION MADE PRACTICAL
(LAMP) by E. Thomas Brewster and Elizabeth Brewster
published by Lingua House.

Take a look - I think you might be happy with it.

Ray Reinbolt

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