Universal Grammar in the Reconstruction of Ancient Languages (Studies in Generative Grammar) (Studies in Generative Grammar)

Philologists aiming to reconstruct the grammar of ancient languages face the problem that the available data always underdetermine grammar, and in the case of gaps, possible mistakes, and idiosyncracies there are no native speakers to consult. The authors of this volume overcome this difficulty by adopting the methodology that a child uses in the course of language acquisition: they interpret the data they have access to in terms of Universal Grammar (more precisely, in terms of a hypothetical model of UG). Their studies, discussing syntactic and morphosyntactic questions of Older Egyptian, Coptic, Sumerian, Akkadian, Biblical Hebrew, Classical Greek, Latin, and Classical Sanskrit, demonstrate that descriptive problems which have proved unsolvable for the traditional, inductive approach can be reduced to the interaction of regular operations and constraints of UG. The proposed analyses also bear on linguistic theory. They provide crucial new data and new generalizations concerning such basic questions of generative syntax as discourse-motivated movement operations, the correlation of movement and agreement, a shift from lexical case marking to structural case marking, the licensing of structural case in infinitival constructions, the structure of coordinate phrases, possessive constructions with an external possessor, and the role of event structure in syntax. In addition to confirming or refuting certain specific hypotheses, they also provide empirical evidence of the perhaps most basic tenet of generative theory, according to which UG is part of the genetic endowment of the human species - i.e., human languages do not "develop" parallel with the development of human civilization. Some of the languages examined in this volume were spoken as much as 5000 years old, still their grammars do not differ in any relevant respect from the grammars of languages spoken today. The Authors Of This Volume Analyze Older Egyptian, Coptic, Sumerian, Akkadian, Biblical Hebrew, Classical Greek, Latin, And Classical Sanskrit As Instantations Of Universal Grammar, Which Enables Them To Explain Descriptive Problems That Proved To Be Unsolvable For Traditional, Inductive Approaches. The Ancient Languages Examined, Some Of Which Were Spoken As Much As 5000 Years Ago, Also Provide Crucial New Data For Syntactic And Morphosyntactic Theory - Concerning E.g. Discourse-motivated Movement Operations, The Correlation Of Movement And Agreement, A Shift From Lexical Case To Structural Case Marking, The Licensing Of Structural Case In Infinitives, The Structure Of Coordinated Phrases, Possessive Constructions With An External Possessor, And The Role Of Event Structure In Syntax.--jacket. The Correlation Between Word Order Alternations, Grammatical Agreement, And Event Semantics In Older Egyptian / Chris H. Reintges -- The Nominal Cleft Construction In Coptic Egyptian / Chris H. Reintges, Anikó Lipták, And Lisa Lai Shen Cheng -- Genitive Constructions In Coptic / Barbara Egedi -- Left-dislocated Possessors In Sumerian / Gábor Zólyomi -- Complex Predicate Structure And Pluralised Events In Akkadian / Christian Huber -- Vso And Left-conjunct Agreement: Biblical Hebrew Vs. Modern Hebrew / Edit Doron -- Ie *weid- As A Root With Dual Subcategorization Features In The Homeric Poems / Annamaria Bartolotta -- The Syntax Of Classical Greek Infinitive / Vassilios Spyropoulos -- Latin Object And Subject Infinitive Clauses / Lucio Melazzo -- Latin Word Order In Generative Perspective: An Explanatory Proposal Within The Sentence Domain / Chiara Polo -- Some Firm Points On Latin Word Order: The Left Periphery / Giampaolo Salvi -- Classical Sanskrit, Wild Trees, And The Properties Of Free Word Order Languages / Brendan Gillon And Benjamin Shaer -- A Particular Coordination Structure Of Indo-european Flavour / Emanuele Lanzetta And Lucio Melazzo. Edited By Katalin É. Kiss. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Introduction The correlation between word order alternations, grammatical agreement and event semantics in Older Egyptian The nominal cleft construction in Coptic Egyptian Genitive constructions in Coptic Left-dislocated possessors in Sumerian Complex predicate structure and pluralised events in Akkadian VSO and left-conjunct agreement: Biblical Hebrew vs. Modern Hebrew IE *weid- as a root with dual subcategorization features in the Homeric poems The syntax of Classical Greek infinitive Latin object and subject infinitive clauses Latin word order in generative perspective: An explanatory proposal within the sentence domain Some firm points on Latin word order: The left periphery Classical Sanskrit, “wild trees”, and the properties of free word order languages A particular coordination structure of Indo-European flavour Index List of contributors Review text: " ... this book is overall a welcome and important contribution."Carlo Cecchetto in: Journal of Linguistics 43/2007