Functional Grammar (FG) as set out by Simon Dik is the ambitious combination of a functionalist approach to the study of language with a consistent formalization of the underlying structures which it recognizes as relevant. The present volume represents the attempts made within the FG framework to expand the theory so as to cover a wider empirical domain than is usual for highly formalized linguistic theories, namely that of written and spoken discourse, while retaining its methodological precision.
Babel is the quarterly language magazine that brings you cutting edge linguistic research in an accessible and colourful format. Our print and digital issues cover a vast array of language lovers' lore, taking in languages from around the world, the past, present and future of language and the many different uses of linguistics in the world around us. Each 52-page issue contains unique articles on linguistic issues such as Polari - the 'lost' language of gay men, the lyrics of women rappers, and the etymology of place names, as well as regular features including our Linguistic Lexicon, Languages of the World and Ask a Linguist.
The relationships among data, evidence, and methodology in English historical linguistics are perennially vexed. This volume—which ranges chronologically from Old to Present-Day English and from manuscripts to corpora—challenges a wide variety of assumptions and practices and illustrates how diverse methods and approaches construct evidence for historical linguistic arguments from an increasingly large and diverse body of linguistic data.
In this essay I have been discussing topics in linguistic theory from a point of view which is in most respects quite traditional, but which has been given new life and scope in recent work. I have also tried to show that this traditional view must be adopted, in its essentials, if linguistic research is to progress and to provide understanding of significant questions. There are value judgments here, of course; I have tried, here and in the references mentioned previously, to justify those that underlie the work I have been reviewing.
Idioms represent a fascinating linguistic phenomenon that has captured the attention of many linguists for decades. This corpus-based study of idioms in Modern Standard Arabic sheds light on their intricate nature, establishes the major patterns of their linguistic behaviour, and provides explanations for these patterns.
