This textbook provides a critical introduction to major research topics and current approaches in linguistic typology, the study of structural variation in human language and of the limits on that variation. Jae Jung Song draws on a wide range of cross-linguistic data to describe what linguistic typology has revealed both about language in general and about the rich variety of ways in which meaning and expression are achieved in the world's languages. Following an introduction to the subject matter and its history, the first part of the book explores theoretical issues and approaches, as well as practical considerations such as sampling methods and data collection. In the second part, chapters examine variation in particular phenomena, such as word order, case alignment, and evidentiality marking. Each chapter concludes with study questions and suggestions for further reading. The volume will be suitable for undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of linguistic typology and language universals, and as secondary reading for cross-linguistically focused courses in phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics.
Author(s): Jae Jung Song
Series: Oxford Textbooks in Linguistics
Edition: Impression 1.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 2018
Language: English
Pages: 512
City: Oxford
Tags: Linguistic, Typology
Cover......Page 1
Linguistic Typology......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
Foreword......Page 14
Preface......Page 16
List of abbreviations......Page 18
Genealogical affiliations and geographical locations of languages cited in the book......Page 20
1.2 What is linguistic typology?......Page 22
1.3 Linguistic typology: a short history......Page 26
Study questions......Page 34
Further reading......Page 35
Part I: Foundations: theory and method......Page 36
2.1 Introduction......Page 38
2.2 The connection between diversity and unity......Page 41
2.3 The Principle of Uniformitarianism: a methodological frame of reference......Page 43
2.4 When and where similarities count......Page 47
2.5 Types of language universals and universal preferences......Page 51
2.6 Concluding remarks......Page 57
Study questions......Page 58
Further reading......Page 59
3.1 Introduction......Page 60
3.2 ‘Comparing apples with apples’: cross-linguistic comparability......Page 65
3.3 Comparative concepts vs descriptive categories......Page 72
3.4 Concluding remarks......Page 80
Study questions......Page 81
Further reading......Page 82
4.1 Introduction......Page 83
4.2 Conceptual differences between LT and GG......Page 85
4.3 Methodological differences between LT and GG......Page 89
4.4 Optimality Theory: a derivative of GG with a twist......Page 92
4.5 Concluding remarks......Page 95
Study questions......Page 96
Further reading......Page 97
5.1 Introduction......Page 98
5.2 Some recalcitrant issues in language sampling......Page 100
5.3 Types of language sample......Page 104
5.4 Biases in language sampling and how to avoid them......Page 109
5.5 Independence of cases......Page 113
5.6.1 Proportional representation in language sampling......Page 115
5.6.2 Independence of cases in proportional representation......Page 118
5.6.3 Having the best of both worlds: structural variation across and within phyla......Page 120
5.7 Testing independence of cases at a non-genealogical level......Page 123
5.8 Typological distribution over time: was it different then from what it is now?......Page 131
5.9 Concluding remarks......Page 136
Study questions......Page 137
Further reading......Page 138
6.1 Introduction......Page 139
6.2 Grammatical descriptions or grammars......Page 140
6.3 Texts......Page 143
6.4 Online typological databases......Page 147
6.5 Native speaker elicitation: direct or indirect......Page 150
6.6 Levels of measurement and coding......Page 155
Study questions......Page 158
Further reading......Page 159
7.1 Introduction......Page 161
7.2.1 Formal coding......Page 165
7.2.2 Grammatical behaviour......Page 170
7.3 Economy and iconicity (in competition)......Page 175
7.4 Typological asymmetry = frequency asymmetry?: iconicity vs frequency......Page 179
7.5 Concluding remarks......Page 188
Study questions......Page 189
Further reading......Page 190
8.1 Introduction......Page 191
8.2 Classical vs prototype approach to categorization......Page 192
8.3 Prototype category as a network of similarities......Page 195
8.4 Prototype in grammar......Page 197
8.5 Semantic maps: ‘geography of grammatical meaning’......Page 208
8.6 Concluding remarks......Page 217
Study questions......Page 218
Further reading......Page 219
Part II: Empirical dimensions......Page 220
9.1 Introduction......Page 222
9.2.1 Consonants......Page 225
9.2.2 Vowels......Page 230
9.2.3 Consonant–vowel ratios......Page 233
9.3 Syllabic typology......Page 234
9.4 Prosodic typology......Page 240
9.4.1 Tone......Page 241
9.4.2 Stress......Page 243
9.5 Concluding remarks......Page 245
Further reading......Page 246
10.1 Introduction......Page 248
10.2 Some basic word order patterns......Page 250
10.3.1 Greenberg’s seminal work and other ‘derivative’ works......Page 252
10.3.2 Bringing word order inconsistencies to order......Page 256
10.3.3 Distribution of the six basic clausal word orders......Page 259
10.4.1 Back to the OV–VO typology......Page 264
10.4.2 Inadequacy of Head-Dependent Theory......Page 266
10.4.3 Branching Direction Theory (BDT)......Page 270
10.4.4 Further thoughts on BDT......Page 274
10.5.1 Basic assumptions of EIC Theory......Page 276
10.5.2 Left–right asymmetry in word order......Page 284
10.6 Structural complexity and efficiency......Page 287
10.6.1 Processing principles and processing domains......Page 288
NPo vs PrN in OV and VO languages......Page 291
10.7 Areal word order typology......Page 295
10.7.1 Areal distribution of the six clausal word orders......Page 297
10.7.3 Areal distribution of OV/VO and NPo/PrN......Page 298
10.7.4 Areal distribution of OV/VO and RelN/NRel......Page 299
10.8 Concluding remarks......Page 300
Study questions......Page 301
Further reading......Page 302
11.1 Introduction......Page 303
11.2.1 Nominative–accusative type......Page 309
11.2.2 Ergative–absolutive type......Page 311
11.2.3 Tripartite type......Page 313
11.2.4 Double oblique type......Page 314
11.3 Variations on S-alignment......Page 315
11.3.1 Split-ergative type......Page 316
11.3.2 Active–stative type......Page 319
11.3.3 Hierarchical type......Page 323
11.4 Distribution of the S-alignment types......Page 324
11.5.1 The discriminatory view of case marking......Page 327
11.5.2 The indexing view of case marking......Page 330
11.5.3 The discriminatory view vs the indexing view......Page 332
11.6 The Nominal Hierarchy and the split-ergative system......Page 333
11.7 Case marking as an interaction between attentionflow and viewpoint......Page 337
11.8 P-alignment types......Page 344
11.9 Distribution of the P-alignment types......Page 347
11.10 Variations on P-alignment......Page 350
11.11 S-alignment and P-alignment in combination......Page 351
11.12 Case alignment and word order......Page 352
Study questions......Page 357
Further reading......Page 359
12.1 Introduction......Page 360
12.2 Agreement......Page 369
12.3 Relativization......Page 374
12.4 Noun phrase ellipsis under coreference......Page 380
12.5 Hierarchical nature of grammatical relations......Page 385
Study questions......Page 388
Further reading......Page 391
13.1 Introduction......Page 392
13.2 Change of argument structure with change of valency......Page 393
13.2.1 Passive......Page 394
13.2.2 Antipassive......Page 399
13.2.3 Noun incorporation......Page 402
13.2.4 Applicative......Page 404
13.2.5 Causative......Page 412
13.3 Change of argument structure without change of valency......Page 414
13.4 Concluding remarks......Page 419
Study questions......Page 420
Further reading......Page 422
14.1 Introduction......Page 424
14.2 Morphological form: variation and distribution......Page 432
14.2.1 Person marking and case alignment......Page 433
14.2.2 Person marking and grammatical relations......Page 435
14.3 Paradigmatic structure: towards a typology......Page 438
14.3.1 Grouping A: no inclusive/exclusive with split group marking......Page 446
14.3.2 Grouping B: no inclusive/exclusive with homophonous group marking......Page 449
14.3.3 Grouping C: inclusive/exclusive with split group marking......Page 451
14.3.4 Grouping D: inclusive/exclusivewith homophonous groupmarking......Page 453
14.3.5 Structural dependencies in paradigmatic structure......Page 454
Study questions......Page 458
Further reading......Page 460
15.1 Introduction......Page 461
15.2 Morphological form of evidentiality marking......Page 463
15.3.1 Visual......Page 465
15.3.2 Non-visual sensory......Page 467
15.3.3 Inference and assumption......Page 468
15.3.4 Hearsay and quotative......Page 470
15.3.5 Order of preference in evidentials......Page 472
15.4.1 Two-term systems......Page 473
15.4.2 Three-term systems......Page 475
15.4.3 Four-term systems......Page 478
15.4.4 Languages with more than four evidentiality distinctions......Page 480
15.5 Evidentiality and other grammatical categories......Page 481
15.6 Concluding remarks......Page 483
Study questions......Page 484
Further reading......Page 485
References......Page 486
Author index......Page 506
Language index......Page 510
Subject index......Page 517
