The Syntax of Adjuncts: 96 (Cambridge Studies in Linguistics)

Book Details

• Author: Thomas Ernst

• Brand: Cambridge University Press

• Edition: 1

• Binding: Paperback

• Format: Import

• Number of Pages: 568

• Release Date: 02-11-2006

• Languages: English

• ISBN: 9780521028189

About the Book

In this comprehensive work, Thomas Ernst presents a theory on the distribution of adverbial adjuncts within a Principles and Parameters framework. Ernst argues that adverbials do not adhere to any strict syntactic principles; rather, they can freely adjoin to any projection. The positions they occupy are determined by their ability to receive proper interpretation, based on selectional requirements, scope, and general compositional rules.

The book delves into the hierarchical and linear positioning of adverbials, explaining how their placement is influenced by hierarchical structure, directionality principles, and morphological weight. Ernst analyzes a variety of adverbial types, including predicational adverbs (e.g., manner and modal adverbs), domain expressions (such as "financially"), temporal, frequency, and duration adverbials, as well as participant prepositional phrases like locatives and benefactives.

The theory is illustrated with examples primarily from English, Chinese, French, and Italian, with occasional references to other languages like German and Japanese. This work offers an in-depth exploration of adverbial syntax and is an invaluable resource for linguists exploring the intersection of syntax, semantics, and language typology.