16.2257, Books: Syntax/Semantics/Discourse Analysis: Thompson

Tue Jul 26 18:03:44 UTC 2005

LINGUIST List: Vol-16-2257. Tue Jul 26 2005. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 16.2257, Books: Syntax/Semantics/Discourse Analysis: Thompson

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1)
Date: 26-Jul-2005
From: Julia Ulrich < julia.ulrich at degruyter.com >
Subject: Time in Natural Language: Thompson 

-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2005 14:02:38
From: Julia Ulrich < julia.ulrich at degruyter.com >
Subject: Time in Natural Language: Thompson 

Title: Time in Natural Language 
Subtitle: Syntactic Interfaces with Semantics and Discourse 
Series Title: Interface Explorations 11  

Publication Year: 2005 
Publisher: Mouton de Gruyter
	   http://www.mouton-publishers.com

Book URL: http://www.degruyter.de/rs/bookSingle.cfm?id=IS-3110184141-1&l=E 

Author: Ellen Thompson, Florida International University, Miami, USA

Hardback: ISBN: 3110184141 Pages: xv, 224 Price: U.S. $ 109.20 Comment: for orders placed in North America
Hardback: ISBN: 3110184141 Pages: xv, 224 Price: Europe EURO 78.00

Abstract:

Time in Natural Language investigates the relationship between the
syntactic and semantic representations of sentences within the domain of
tense. Assuming that tenses are semantically composed of three distinct
times, Thompson proposes that these times map onto the syntax in a regular
fashion: each time is associated with a unique syntactic head. Adopting the
Minimalist approach to syntactic theory, this approach makes possible
insightful analyses of syntactic structures involving temporal dependency. 

Thompson argues that, depending on their adjunction site, temporal
adverbials modify different parts of the tense structure of the clause.
Locating the Event time within VP, it is correctly predicted that an
adverbial that modifies the Event time is adjoined to VP. On the other
hand, since the Reference time is argued to be within AspP, when an
adverbial is adjoined to AspP, it modifies the Reference time. The syntax
of temporal adjunct clauses is accounted for in a similar fashion; they may
be adjoined either to VP, where they are interpreted as simultaneous with
the matrix event, or to AspP, where they are interpreted as nonsimultaneous. 

Thompson shows that the analysis sheds light on the less-studied issue of
the temporal syntax of arguments. Subjects with gerundive relative clauses
are claimed to be interpreted in VP at LF when the relative clause is
temporally dependent on the Event time of the main clause, and in TP when
the relative clause is dependent on the Speech time of the main clause. By
extending the syntactic proposal to investigate the discourse-level effects
of tense, an original analysis of the discourse representation of tense is
proposed. Thompson argues that the discourse representation of tense is
based on same primitives and subject to the same principles as the
syntactic representation of tense, based on an in-depth examination of the
structure and meaning of the temporal discourse adverb then.

Of interest to: Linguists and Graduate Students of Linguistics with an
interest in Syntax, Semantics, Syntax/Semantics Interface Issues, or the
theoretical Structure of English. The book can be used in Graduate courses
on Syntax or Syntax/Semantics, as well as Seminars on Tense or Verbal Syntax. 

Linguistic Field(s): Discourse Analysis
                     Semantics
                     Syntax

Written In: English  (ENG)

See this book announcement on our website: 
http://linguistlist.org/get-book.html?BookID=15758

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