Linear Syntax

While much of contemporary syntax equates grammatical structure with hierarchical organization, i.e. tree structures, this book argues for a critical reassessment of that premise. It argues that a crucial part of the description of German clausal syntax should be based on linear, rather than hierarchical concepts. This is done here by adopting 'topological fields'DSa concept from traditional descriptive theory. Such fields are defined as syntactic position classes, that is, clusterings of continuous syntactic material, and are defined orthogonally to constituency. This idea is implemented in an extension of Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar that employs a separate level of flat linear organization called 'order domain'.

Table of Contents:
1. Introductory Remarks; 2. Some Basic Concepts of HPSG; 3. Formal Models of Syntactic Discontinuity; 4. Topological Fields; 5. Complementizers and Verb Placement; 6. Left-Peripheral Structures; 7. Sentence Type Determination; 8. Syntax of the Verb Cluster; 9. Beyond German; References

About the Author :
Andreas Kathol is Assistant Professor in the Department of Linguistics, University of California at Berkeley. He obtained his Doctorate at the Ohio State University (1995) and held a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Groningen (1995-6).

Review :
... informative and thought-provoking ... The book represents a remarkable contribution to generative German syntax, and has made some significant innovations that have already had an impact on theoretical and computational research on other languages and language families. Journal of Comparative Germanic Linguistics An important contribution to the exploration of German(ic) syntax within the theoretical assumptions of HPSG (Head-driven Phrase Structure Grammar) ... the book builds a bridge of communication between different research camps and gives linguists without a Germanic background access to the classical insights of topological theory, whose merits, as we see, have come an exceptionally long way. Journal of Linguistics Most work in syntactic theory assumes a close relation between constituent structure and linear order and some of it assumes a very close relation. Breaking with this orthodoxy, Andreas Kathol argues in this book mainly on the basis of German data for a version of Head-driven Phrase Structure Grammar which recognizes a level of linear organization quite separate from constituent structure. He shows how this approach, which has something in common with traditional approaches to German syntax, permits interesting analyses both of the most familiar features of German syntax and of some that are less familiar. The book should be of interest to anyone interested in German but also to anyone concerned with the relation between constituent structure and linear order R.D.Borsley, Department of Linguistics, University of Wales This is the most impressive and comprehensive work on the syntax of verbs in German and Germanic since the seminal work of Evers and den Besten in the 1970s. All those who keep bibliographies of must-reads of the topic of verbal word order will have to add Kathol's book for the benefit of any future linguist who intends to work on the same subject.