Ulteriori informazioni
This book presents a radical reconceptualization of the nature of linguistic knowledge. John Taylor challenges the conventional notion that a language can be understood in terms of the interaction of syntax with a lexicon, the second listing the words and the first the rules for combining them. He proposes instead that an individual's knowledge of a language can be thought of as a repository of memories of linguistic experience. Each encounter with the language, he argues, leaves a trace in our minds. Werecord the forms of utterances, the concepts and interpretations associated with them, and the contexts in which they were heard or seen. Features of incoming language - a word, a phrase, a meaning, a voice quality, an interactional situation - resonate with items already stored. Similarities between stored items give rise to generalizations of varying degrees of certainty and precision, which in turn are able to sanction new and innovative expressions.
Sommario
- 1: Conceptualizing Language
- 2: The Dictionary and the Grammar Book: The generative model of linguistic knowledge
- 3: Three Words and Their Behaviour
- 4: Idioms
- 5: Speaking Idiomatically
- 6: Constructions
- 7: Frequency
- 8: Skewed Frequencies as a Design Feature of Language
- 9: Learning From Input
- 10: Polysemy
- 11: Creativity and Innovation
- 12: Blending
- 13: The Mental Corpus
- References
- Subject Index
- Index of Names
Info autore
John R. Taylor is the author of Linguistic Categorization (3rd edn 2003), Possessives in English (pbk edn 2003); and Cognitive Grammar (2002) all published by OUP.
Riassunto
John Taylor argues that an individual's knowledge of a language is a repository of memories. Similarities between items lead to generalizations then used to generate new expressions. He makes a compelling contribution to understanding language and the operations of the mind. The book will appeal to linguists, philosophers, and cognitive scientists.
Testo aggiuntivo
This is a very nicely written, accessible, and up-to-date useful introduction and overview on the idea of a "mental corpus". Our students love it and it is very helpful for our general intros to cognitive linguistics and construction grammar. I hope this will spark lots of new and exciting term papers, BA and MA theses!
