Language is a system of communication in which grammatical structures function to express meaning in context. While all languages can achieve the same basic communicative ends, they each use different means to achieve them, particularly in the divergent ways that syntax, semantics and pragmatics interact across languages. This book looks in detail at how structure, meaning, and communicative function interact in human languages. Working within the framework of Role and Reference Grammar (RRG), Van Valin proposes a set of rules, called the 'linking algorithm', which relates syntactic and semantic representations to each other, with discourse-pragmatics playing a role in the linking. Using this model, he discusses the full range of grammatical phenomena, including the structures of simple and complex sentences, verb and argument structure, voice, reflexivization and extraction restrictions. Clearly written and comprehensive, this book will be welcomed by all those working on the interface between syntax, semantics and pragmatics.

This book looks at how syntax, semantics and pragmatics interact in different ways across human languages.

About the Author
Robert D. Van Valin Jr is Professor and Chair of Linguistics at the State University of New York, Buffalo.

Reviews
'this book on RRG linguistic theory succeeds to provide a fresh and deep analytic view on the exploration of the syntax, semantics, and pragmatics interfaces ... A special remark should emphasize the cross-linguistic value of the whole investigation within the book.' Zentralblatt MATH



Book Information
ISBN 9780521811798
Author Robert D. van Valin, Jr.
Format Hardback
Page Count 334
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 730g
Dimensions(mm) 244mm * 170mm * 19mm