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"Supported by data from linguistic fieldwork conducted in the Faroe Islands and Iceland, this book presents a pioneering approach to syntactic analysis, 'Optimal Linking Grammar' (OLG), which brings together two existing models, Linking Theory and Optimality Theory (OT). OT, which assumes spoken language to be based on the highest-ranking outcome from a number of competing underlying constraints, has been central mainly to phonology; however its application to syntax has also gained ground in recent years. OLG not only provides a robust account of case-marking phenomena in Faroese and Icelandic; it also explains a wide range of sentence types, including passives, ditransitives, object shift, and word order variation. The book demonstrates how OLG can resolve numerous issues in competing theories of formal syntax, and how it might be successfully applied to other languages in future research. It is essential reading for researchers and students in syntax, morphology, sociolinguistics, and European languages"--
List of contents
List of Figures; List of Tables; List of Abbreviations; 1. Introduction; 2. Case Study: Non-nominative Subjects; 3. Overview of OLG; 4. Faroese Dative Subjects; 5. Competing Grammars; 6. Faroese Passive; 7. Ditransitives; 8. Alternative Hypotheses; 9. Syntax in OLG; 10. Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.
About the author
Daniel Galbraith completed his Ph.D. in Linguistics at Stanford University. His research interests are in syntax, morphology, case, and metrical phonology. For the last four years, he has worked on voice assistance and other linguistic projects in the technology industry, currently at Google.
Summary
Based on a substantial amount of new data taken from Faroese and Icelandic, this pioneering book presents a new theory of grammar, which explains a wide variety of sentence types across languages. It is essential reading for researchers and advanced students in syntax, morphology, sociolinguistics, and European languages.
Foreword
This book presents a pioneering new theory of grammar, which explains a wide variety of sentence types across languages.
