Published by: bramjnet (Karma: 463.19) on 25 July 2007 | Views: 5494
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Cognitive Foundations of Grammar
The main function of language is to convey meaning. The question of why
language is structured the way it is, Heine here argues, has therefore
to be answered first of all with reference to this function. Linguistic
explanations in terms of other exponents of language structure, e.g. of
syntax, are likely to highlight peripheral or epi-phenomenal rather
than central characteristics of language structure. This book uses
basic findings on grammaticalization processes to describe the role of
cognitive forces in shaping grammar. It provides students with an
introductory treatment of a field of linguistics that has developed
recently and is rapidly expanding.
