The Polysynthesis Parameter

By: Mark C. Baker

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Hardcover | 4 January 1996

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580 Pages

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22.86 x 15.24 x 3.66

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This book investigates in detail the grammar of polysynthetic languages--those with very complex verbal morphology. Baker argues that polysynthesis is more than an accidental collection of morphological processes; rather, it is a systematic way of representing predicate-argument relationships that is parallel to but distinct from the system used in languages like English. Having repercussions for many areas of syntax and related aspects of morphology and semantics, this argument results in a comprehensive picture of the grammar of polysynthetic languages. Baker draws on examples from Mohawk and certain languages of the American Southwest, Mesoamerica, Australia, and Siberia.

Industry Reviews

Baker's findings regarding Mohawk reflexive verbs are interesting ... this is an important book ... Almost the entire book is very readable. Baker has the ability to communicate the backbone of a linguistic argument to linguists ... I learned more about GB and Principles & Parameters from this book than I have from putatively introductory works. * Journal of Linguistics *

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Paperback

Published: 19th December 1996

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Introduction: Of Parameters and Polysynthesis	p. 3
Geniuses and Parameters	p. 6
An Initial Acquaintance with Mohawk	p. 9
Toward a Macroparameter	p. 14
Preliminary Evidence for the MVC	p. 19
Other Implications and Prospectus	p. 23
On Morphological Structure and Syntactic Structure	p. 27
Notes	p. 35
Nonconfigurationality
The Position of NPs	p. 41
All NPs Are Adjuncts	p. 43
Disjoint Reference Effects	p. 43
The Absence of NP Anaphors	p. 49
The Absence of Nonreferential Quantified NPs	p. 53
Interrogative Constructions	p. 66
CED Effects	p. 73
Weak Crossover Effects	p. 77
Why NPs Cannot Be in Argument Position	p. 83
Notes	p. 89
The Licensing of NPs	p. 96
Similarities with Clitic Left Dislocation	p. 98
The Necessity of a Null Pronoun	p. 98
The NP Is Adjoined	p. 100
The NP Is Part of a Chain	p. 102
The NP Is Not Moved	p. 110
The Adjunct Licensing Condition	p. 111
Differences: I. Possible Adjunction Sites	p. 113
Left Adjunction vs. Right Adjunction	p. 114
The Category of the Adjoined-to Phrase	p. 118
Intonational Evidence	p. 121
Differences: II. Features of the Adjoined NP	p. 121
Number	p. 122
Definiteness	p. 125
Case	p. 129
Conclusion	p. 132
Notes	p. 133
Discontinuous Constituents	p. 138
The Nature of the Problem	p. 138
Floated Quantifiers	p. 144
All-type Quantifiers	p. 144
A Lot-type Quantifiers	p. 152
Operator Constructions	p. 158
Split Interrogatives	p. 158
Relative Clauses: Internally Headed and Otherwise	p. 162
Split Demonstratives	p. 176
Conclusion	p. 180
Notes	p. 182
Word Structure and Phrase Structure
Agreement and Clause Structure	p. 189
Introduction	p. 189
Case and the Number of Agreement Morphemes	p. 192
Basic Verb Types	p. 193
The Location of Agreement	p. 198
Reflexive Verbs	p. 199
Arguments Without Agreement	p. 203
The Form of Agreement	p. 211
Lexically Determined Form	p. 212
Configurationally Determined Form	p. 217
Some Refinements	p. 224
Agreement in Other Languages	p. 234
Conclusion	p. 237
Notes	p. 238
Agreement and the Structure of NP	p. 244
The R Argument	p. 244
Noun Prefixes in Mohawk	p. 244
Noun Prefixes in Other Languages	p. 248
The Absence of Determiners	p. 252
Other NP-Internal Arguments	p. 257
The Markedness of Possessor Agreement (Nichols' Problem)	p. 257
Why Possessor Agreement Is Marked	p. 260
Dependent-Marked Possessors	p. 262
Head-Marked Possessors	p. 265
Noun Complements	p. 271
Conclusion	p. 273
Notes	p. 274
Noun Incorporation	p. 279
The Cross-linguistic Distribution of NI	p. 280
Why Some Languages Cannot Have NI	p. 280
How NI Satisfies the MVC	p. 283
The Semantics of NI	p. 287
The Language-Internal Distribution of NI	p. 291
The Basic Generalization	p. 291
Problems With the Previous Analysis	p. 295
Goal Incorporation	p. 297
Theme Incorporation	p. 300
Agent Incorporation	p. 303
The Syntactic Nature of NI	p. 306
A Preliminary Comparison	p. 307
Agreement and the Null Argument	p. 314
Disjoint Reference Effects	p. 320
NI and Questions	p. 322
NI and Agreement in Other Languages	p. 326
Conclusion	p. 329
Notes	p. 330
Complex Predicates	p. 338
Limitations on Possessor Raising	p. 339
Morphological Causatives	p. 348
Limitations on the Mohawk Causative	p. 348
The "Light" Causative Construction	p. 352
Causatives in Other Languages	p. 361
Conclusions	p. 372
Control Constructions	p. 374
The Mohawk Purposive	p. 374
Other Languages	p. 380
Distinguishing Control From LVCs	p. 383
Adjectival Predicates and Possessor Raising	p. 384
Conclusion	p. 389
Notes	p. 391
Nonnominal Categories
Adpositional Phrases	p. 399
The Internal Structure of PPs	p. 400
The Argument Structure of the P	p. 400
The P-Complement Relation	p. 405
The Possessor of the Complement	p. 410
The External Distribution of PPs	p. 414
The Impossibility of PP Arguments	p. 416
The Licensing of Adjunct PPs	p. 422
The Null Adposition	p. 424
Applicative Constructions	p. 426
Higher-Predicate Applicatives	p. 432
Adpositional Applicatives	p. 439
Conclusion	p. 445
Notes	p. 446
Embedded Clauses	p. 452
The Distribution of Argument Clauses	p. 452
Clausal Subjects	p. 454
Clausal Complements	p. 458
Nominalization	p. 465
Predicting the Patterns	p. 469
The Internal Structure of Clauses	p. 471
The Absence of Infinitives	p. 472
Alleged Examples of Infinitives	p. 475
Implications for Control	p. 484
Conclusion	p. 491
Notes	p. 492
Conclusion: On the Nature of Parameterization	p. 496
Is There a Macroparameter?	p. 496
Are There Other Macroparameters?	p. 504
Why Are There Macroparameters?	p. 506
A Biological Explanation	p. 508
A Sociological Explanation	p. 510
A Theological Explanation	p. 512
Notes	p. 515
Abbreviations	p. 517
Orthography and Pronunciation	p. 522
Sources and Methods	p. 524
References	p. 527
Index	p. 539
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.

The Polysynthesis Parameter

At a Glance

Hardcover

Industry Reviews

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