Explaining Syntax : Representations, Structures, and Computation

This book brings together Peter Culicover's most important observations on the nature of syntax and its place within the architecture of language. Over four decades he has sought to understand the mental system in which linguistic expressions are processed. This has led him to re-formulate the balance between the requirements of interpretation and the role of syntactic structure; to examine the nature of the empirical basis in which particular structural analyses can be applied to linguistic expressions; and to consider the extent to which such analyses reflect judgements based not only on linguistic competence but on computations developed in the course of acquiring or using a language. After a brief a retrospective the author opens the book with the Simpler Syntax Hypothesis, the pioneering article written with Ray Jackendoff that fundamentally rebalances the elements of grammar. The work is then divided into parts concerned broadly with representations, structures, and computation. The chapters are provided with contextual headnotes and footnote references to subsequent work, but are otherwise printed essentially as they first appeared. Peter Culicover's lively and original perspectives on syntax and grammar will appeal to all theoretical linguists and their advanced students. This book brings together many of Peter Culicover's most significant observations on the nature of syntax and its place within the architecture of human language. Over four decades he has sought to understand the cognitive foundations of linguistic theory and the place of syntactic theory in explaining how language works. This has led him to specific proposals regarding the proper scope of syntactic theory and to a re-examination of the empirical basis of syntactic analyses, which reflect judgements reflecting not only linguistic competence but the complexity of the computations involved in acquiring and using language. After a brief a retrospective the author opens the book with the Simpler Syntax Hypothesis, an article written with Ray Jackendoff, that proposes significant restrictions on the scope of the syntactic component of the grammar. The work is then divided into parts concerned broadly with representations, structures, and computation. The chapters are provided with contextual headnotes and footnote references to subsequent work, but are otherwise printed essentially as they first appeared. Peter Culicover's lively and original perspectives on syntax and grammar will appeal to all theoretical linguists and their advanced students. ## Abstract This book brings together important observations on the nature of syntax and its place within the architecture of language. Over four decades he has sought to understand the mental system in which linguistic expressions are processed. This has led him to re-formulate the balance between the requirements of interpretation and the role of syntactic structure; to examine the nature of the empirical basis in which particular structural analyses can be applied to linguistic expressions; and to consider the extent to which such analyses reflect judgements based not only on linguistic competence but on computations developed in the course of acquiring or using a language. After a brief a retrospective the book opens the book with the Simpler Syntax Hypothesis, the pioneering article written with Ray Jackendoff that fundamentally rebalances the elements of grammar. The work is then divided into parts concerned broadly with representations, structures, and computation. The chapters are provided with contextual headnotes and footnote references to subsequent work, but are otherwise printed essentially as they first appeared. This Book Collects Peter Culicover's Key Observations On The Nature Of Syntax And Its Place Within The Architecture Of Language. Over Four Decades His Pioneering Examinations Of Expression And Interpretation Have Led Him To Rebalance The Elements Of Grammar And To Reformulate Linguistic Theory. The Book Will Appeal To All Theoretical Linguists. Peter W. Culicover. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.