Boye Kasper, Engberg-Pedersen Elisabeth (eds.) Language Usage and Language Structure

De Gruyter Mouton, 2010. — 369 p. — (Trends in Linguistics. Studies and Monographs 213). — ISBN 978-3-11-021917-3, e-ISBN 978-3-11-021918-0, ISSN 1861-4302.During most of the 20th century, the classical Saussurean distinction between language usage and language structure remained untranscendable in much linguistic theory. The dominant view, propagated in particular by generative grammar, was that there are structural facts and usage facts, and that in principle the former are independent of, and can be described in complete isolation from, the latter.With the appearance of functional-cognitive approaches on the scene, this view has been challenged. The view of structure as usage-based has had two consequences that make time ripe for a focused study of the interaction between usage and structure. Within the generative camp it has inspired a more explicit and precise description of the status of usage. Within the functional-cognitive camp it has blurred the status of structure. Perhaps because functionalists and cognitivists have had to position themselves in relation to generative grammar, some have emphasized the role of usage facts to the extent that structure is largely ignored.Accounts of language usage, language acquisition and language change are impossible without an assumption about what it is that is being used, acquired, or subjected to change. And more moderate functionalists and cognitive functionalists recognize both structural facts and usage facts as genuine facts central to the understanding of language. Still, the linguistic literature that shares this position does not abound with explicit, precise characterizations of the relationship between usage and structure.The present volume brings together scholars from different theoretical positions to address theoretical and methodological aspects of the relation between language usage and structure. The contributors differ with respect to how they conceive of this relation and, more basically, with respect to how they conceive of linguistic structure. What they have in common, however, is that they recognize structure and usage as non-reducible linguistic phenomena and take seriously the challenge to describe the relation between them.TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS is a series of books that open new perspectives in our understanding of language. The series publishes state-of-the-art work on core areas of linguistics across theoretical frameworks, as well as studies that provide new insights by approaching language from an interdisciplinary perspective.TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS considers itself a forum for cutting-edge research based on solid empirical data on language in its various manifestations, including sign languages. It regards linguistic variation in its synchronic and diachronic dimensions as well as in its social contexts as important sources of insight for a better understanding of the design of linguistic systems and the ecology and evolution of language.TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS publishes monographs and outstanding dissertations as well as edited volumes, which provide the opportunity to address controversial topics from different empirical and theoretical viewpoints. High quality standards are ensured through anonymous reviewing.Usage and structure: The case of clausal complementation
What conversational English tells us about the nature of grammar:A critique of Thompson’s analysis of object complements. Frederick J. Newmeyer
Usage, structure, scientific explanation, and the role of abstraction, by linguists and by language users. Arie Verhagen
Raising verbs and auxiliaries in a functional theory of grammatical status. Kasper Boye
The rise of structure
How not to disagree: The emergence of structure from usage. Ronald W. Langacker
Paradigmatic structure in a usage-based theory of grammaticalisation. Lars Heltoft
Where do simple clauses come from? T. Givón
Structure, usage and variation
Alternative agreement controllers in Danish: Usage or structure? Elisabeth Engberg-Pedersen and Mads Poulsen
Schmidt redux: How systematic is the linguistic system if variation is rampant? Dirk Geeraerts
More tiles on the roof: Further thoughts on incremental language production. J. Lachlan Mackenzie
Reconciling structure and usage: On the advantages of a dynamic, dialogic conception of the linguistic sign. Maj-Britt Mosegaard Hansen
Methodology
Ten unwarranted assumptions in syntactic argumentation. William Croft