Productivity in Argument Selection: From Morphology to Syntax (Trends in Linguistics. Studies and Monographs [TiLSM] Book 260)

Main description: This book centers on the idea that some verbs and other argument structure constructions have an inherently different propensity to realize lexically unfamiliar arguments, independently of lexical semantic meaning. This notion is explored both qualitatively using selected examples, and quantitatively using large amounts of corpus data, in both cases primarily from English and German Introduction. The problem in a nutshell : how do speakers know how productive each slot is? ; Preliminary remarks on usage-based theories ; Argument structure, argument selection and adjuncts ; Requirements for a theory of syntactic productivity ; Chapters in this book -- (Re-)defining productivity : from morphology to syntax. General definitions in previous work ; What productivity applies to : morphology versus syntax ; Granularity and grades of productivity ; Criteria for productivity ; Productivity versus creativity ; Roadmap : towards a productivity complex -- Morphological productivity measures. Methodological remarks on testing productivity measures ; Using type counts : V ; Token counts and in-category vocabulary : N(C), f(C) and Vc ; Using hapax legomena : Baayen's ... * and ... ; Vocabulary growth, frequency spectrums, ... and ... ; Estimating total vocabulary : Zipf's Law, LNRE models and S ; Measuring global productivity : I, ... and P* ; Summary : measuring morphological productivity -- Adapting measures to the syntactic domain. Methodological remarks on using corpus data ; Types and type counts in syntax ; Argument selection in competing constructions : prepositional and postpositional wegen in German ; Different heads, different measures : ranking productivity for direct object selection in English transitive verbs ; Productivity in multiple slots : the case of comparative correlatives ; Interim conclusion : measuring productivity for syntactic argument slots -- Lexical semantics and world knowledge. Semantic approaches to argument selection ; Can lexical semantics and world knowledge explain novel argument selection? ; Argument selection in (near) synonymous heads and constructions ; Semantic and selectional effects in derivations from the same stem ; Semantic-pragmatic motivation and syntactic alternations ; World knowledge and argument selection in translational equivalents ; Interim conclusion : towards a usage-based account of novel argument selection -- Representation within a usage-based productivity grammar. Productivity as knowledge and the innocent speaker ; A formalization of the Productivity Complex ; Explicitly modeling entrenchment and productivity ; Why do skewed distributions lead to productivity? : a Hebbian cognitive account of argument categorization ; Lexical choice and the structure of the mental lexicon ; Relation types in the mental lexicon ; Interim conclusion : outline of rules in a productivity grammar -- Conclusion. Main results of this study ; What models of grammar are compatible with these results? ; Outlook ---- Appendices.-- Queries ;-- Linear regression model with quadratic term for -saml-bar-- References-- Author index-- Subject index.

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.

To discuss your book idea or submit a proposal, please contact Birgit Sievert.