A Dictionary of Grammatical Terms in Linguistics [Paperback]

R. L. Trask (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415086280 | ISBN-13: 978-0415086288 | Publication Date: January 1, 1996

This dictionary of grammatical terms covers both current and traditional terminology in syntax and morphology. It includes descriptive terms, the major theoretical concepts of the most influential grammatical frameworks, and the chief terms from mathematical and computational linguistics. It contains over 1500 entries, providing definitions and examples, pronunciations, the earliest sources of terms and suggestions for further reading, and recommendations about competing and conflicting usages. The book focuses on non-theory-boumd descriptive terms, which are likely to remain current for some years.
Aimed at students and teachers of linguistics, it allows a reader puzzled by a grammatical term to look it up and locate further reading with ease.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This will surely turn into one of those books that we shall all wonder how we ever managed without; not only novices, but established grammarians will bless the book every time they use it. It is no hack collection of grammarian's jargon, but a profoundly intelligent synthesis of the categories we all share as well as those particular to individual theories or branches or grammatical scholarship. It will surely remain the definitive dictionary of grammar for the late twentieth century.' - Richard Hudson, University College, London

'A profoundly learned and illumi8nating text. It is certain to be of immense value not only to the student and to the general reader but also to the professional linguist.' - Spoken English

'This is a fine piece of work. I look forward to having it on a shelf close to my desk.' - Frederick Newmeyer, University of Washington

'This is an excellent reference work for the student and scholar of modern linguistics. It provides concise but usable definitions of a wide range of terms from traditional grammar and current grammatical theory, with references to sources for further information. No other dictionary of linguistic terms matches its usefullness for readers of contemporary linguistic literature.' - Bernard Comrie, Max Planck Institute, Germany

'An essential resource for all linguistics, be they students or specialists.' - Bas Aarts, Lingua

'This book offers an excellent quick reference to many key terms used in psycholinguistics and grammatical analysis description.' - Ms H Dyer, Cheltenham and Gloucester Higher Education College

'Trask's new dictionary is a most wlecome tool. Trask has focused mainly on grammatical terminology within the many disciplines of linguistics. The dictionary provides generous coverage of traditional and modern terms pertaining mainly syntax and morphology, with emphasis on new theories of grammar and on current developments in theoretical linguistics. The impressive collection of approximately 1,500 entried is arranged alphabetically, with most terms defined concisely in one paragraph and sometimes accompanied by an illustrative chart, brancing tree, or diagram. Students, teachers, and researchers in linguistics and related disciplines will welcome this work as an instrument that alleviates their problems with grammatical terms and their meanings.' - Language and Linguistics

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (January 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415086280
• ISBN-13: 978-0415086288
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,058,073 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An absolute must for anyone involved with linguistics!, September 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Dictionary of Grammatical Terms in Linguistics (Paperback)

Whether you are a linguist, or a person simply trying to make headway understanding an article that uses linguistic terminology (e.g., all those J.R.R. Tolkien fanatics who discover Appendices E and F in The Lord of the Rings and suddenly want to read everything they can get their hands on about Finnish and Welsh grammar but wouldn't know a allative from an allosaurus!) this book's for you. What's best about it, is not only does it give terminology utilized for non-Indo-European languages, but I found it was a great way to get a crash course in some of the latter-day schools of grammar that have erupted through the breaches in the once-solid wall of the stale, sterile, and limited Chomskian paradigm. My only complaint: the book, in addition to simply describing terms, should give more examples and contextual illustrations from actual languages.