Formalism and Functionalism in Linguistics: The Engineer and the Collector (Routledge Focus on Linguistics)

This volume is a concise introduction to the lively ongoing debate between formalist and functionalist approaches to the study of language. The book grounds its comparisons between the two in both historical and contemporary contexts where, broadly speaking, formalists’ focus on structural relationships and idealized linguistic data contrasts with functionalists’ commitment to analyzing real language used as a communicative tool. The book highlights key sub-varieties, proponents, and critiques of each respective approach. It concludes by comparing formalist versus functionalist contributions in three domains of linguistic research: in the analysis of specific grammatical constructions; in the study of language acquisition; and in interdisciplinary research on the origins of language. Taken together, the volume opens insight into an important tension in linguistic theory and provides students and scholars with a more nuanced understanding of the structure of the discipline of modern linguistics. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Acknowledgments 9 Introduction 10 1 Defining ‘Formalism’ and ‘Functionalism’ 13 1.1 Starting Out 13 1.2 Defining the Terms 14 1.3 The Engineer and the Collector 15 1.4 Two Examples 17 1.5 On the Architecture of Formalism Versus Functionalism 21 References 22 2 Background to the Current Debate 24 2.1 Is There a Starting Point? 24 2.2 Before the Twentieth Century 25 2.3 Twentieth-Century Formalist Linguistics to 1950 29 2.4 Twentieth-Century Functionalism from the Prague Circle to Pike 32 2.5 Why the Background Matters 37 References 37 3 Contemporary Formalist Linguistics 41 3.1 The Internal Structure of Modern Formalism 41 3.2 What Makes Modern Formalism Formalist? 41 3.2.1 Early Transformational Grammar 42 3.2.2 Principles and Parameters 45 3.2.3 The Minimalist Program 47 3.2.4 The Common Formalist Character of Generative Grammar 49 3.3 Diversity Within Contemporary Formalism 49 References 53 4 Contemporary Functionalist Linguistics 54 4.1 The Internal Structure of Modern Functionalism 54 4.2 The Scope of Modern Functionalism 54 4.2.1 Systemic Functional Linguistics 55 4.2.2 Langacker’s Cognitive Grammar 57 4.2.3 Talmy Givón 59 4.3 Taxonomies of Modern Functionalist Linguistics 60 4.4 Graphic Style in Modern Formalism and Functionalism 64 References 67 5 Formalism and Functionalism in Action 69 5.1 Applying Formalism and Functionalism 69 5.2 In the Analysis of Syntactic Phenomena 69 5.2.1 Word Order 69 5.2.2 Transitivity 73 5.3 In Conceptualization and Study of Child Language Learning 76 5.4 In Debate About the Origin of Human Language 81 5.5 Gaps, Overlap, and Combat Between Formalism and Functionalism 87 References 88 6 Formalism and Functionalism Juxtaposed 92 6.1 Formalism and Functionalism in Silhouette 92 6.2 Face to Face 92 6.2.1 In Conversation 92 6.2.2 How Formal Is Functionalism? 94 6.2.3 How Functionalist Is Formalism? 98 6.3 Side by Side 101 6.3.1 Explanation 101 6.3.2 (Non)complementarity 105 6.4 Back to Back 108 References 110 7 Conclusion 114 7.1 Engineers and Collectors, Revisited 114 7.2 Portrait of a Linguistic Mindset 114 7.3 Formalism and Functionalism Face the World Online 116 References 119 Appendix: Characteristics of Formalism Versus Functionalism 120 Index 122 This volume is a concise introduction to the lively ongoing debate between formalist and functionalist approaches to the study of language. The book grounds its comparisons between the two in both historical and contemporary contexts where, broadly speaking, formalists' focus on structural relationships and idealized linguistic data contrasts with functionalists' commitment to analyzing real language used as a communicative tool. The book highlights key sub-varieties, proponents, and critiques of each respective approach. It concludes by comparing formalist versus functionalist contributions in three domains of linguistic research: in the analysis of specific grammatical constructions; in the study of language acquisition; and in interdisciplinary research on the origins of language. Taken together, the volume opens insight an into important tension in linguistic theory, and provides students and scholars with a more nuanced understanding of the structure of the discipline of modern linguistics