Toward a Typology of European Languages (Empirical Approaches to Language Typology [EALT] Book 8)

Research on language universals and research on linguistic typology are not antagonistic, but rather complementary approaches to the same fundamental problem: the relationship between the amazing diversity of languages and the profound unity of language. Only if the true extent of typological divergence is recognized can universal laws be formulated. In recent years it has become more and more evident that a broad range of languages of radically different types must be carefully analyzed before general theories are possible. Typological comparison of this kind is now at the centre of linguistic research. The series empirical approaches to language typology presents a platform for contributions of all kinds to this rapidly developing field. The distinctive feature of the series is its markedly empirical orientation. All conclusions to be reached are the result of a deepened study of empirical data. General problems are focused on from the perspective of individual languages, language families, language groups, or language samples. Special emphasis is given to the analysis of phenomena from little known languages, which shed new light on long-standing problems in general linguistics. The series is open to contributions from different theoretical persuasions. It thus reflects the methodological pluralism that characterizes the present situation. Care is taken that all volumes be accessible to every linguist and, moreover, to every reader specializing in some domain related to human language. A deeper understanding of human language in general, based on a detailed analysis of typological diversity among individual languages, is fundamental for many sciences, not only for linguists. Therefore, this series has proven to be indispensable in every research library, be it public or private, which has a specialization in language and the language sciences. To discuss your book idea or submit a proposal, please contact Birgit Sievert. Foreword Introduction 1. General problems Standard Average European as an exotic language Typological contrasts between pidgin and creole languages in relation to their European language superstrates Area influence versus typological drift in Western Europe: the case of negation 2. Deixis Deixis – a pragmatic universal? Possessive adnominal modifiers 3. Morphology The structure of the noun in European languages L'infinitif dans les langues romanes et les langues germaniques: essai d'approche typologique The infinitive in south-east European languages Conjugation of the verb in modern Celtic and Basque: from inflection to periphrasis 4. Tense, aspect and modality Types of tense and aspect systems On the coding of sentential modality 5. Actancy/voice Caractéristiques actancielles de l'«européen moyen type»* Processes and actions: internal agentless impersonals in some European languages Questions of the investigation of the complements of adjectives in European languages 6. Complementation and subordination The evolution of certain patterns in subordination in Romance and English Usages normatifs et non normatifs dans les relatives en français, en espagnol et en portugais Adverbial participles, gerunds and absolute constructions in the languages of Europe* Index of names Index of languages Index of subjects

The series is a platform for contributions of all kinds to this rapidly developing field. General problems are studied from the perspective of individual languages, language families, language groups, or language samples. Conclusions are the result of a deepened study of empirical data. Special emphasis is given to little-known languages, whose analysis may shed new light on long-standing problems in general linguistics.