Last update:
9 February 2010
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The Syntax–Discourse InterfaceRepresenting and interpreting dependency
2005. xii, 259 pp.
Publishing status: Available
Hardbound
– In stock
978 90 272 2804 8 / EUR 110.00 / USD 165.00
e-Book
– Available from e-book platforms
This book combines theoretical and experimental aspects of the establishment of dependency. It provides an account of dependency relations by focusing on the representation and interpretation of referentially dependent elements, particularly regular reflexives, logophors, and pronouns. First, the establishment of dependency is discussed within a model of syntax—discourse correspondences that predicts an economy-based dependency hierarchy contingent on the level of representation at which the dependency is formed as well as the internal structure of the dependent element and its antecedent. Secondly, the model’s predictions are substantiated by a series of experimental studies (conducted in English and Dutch) providing evidence from three sources of online sentence comprehension: reaction time studies, Broca’s aphasia patient studies, and event-related brain potential studies. The findings show that dependencies are established at distinct levels of linguistic encoding (i.e. syntax or discourse) determined by the presence or absence of coargumenthood and the representation of the dependency-forming elements.
Table of contents
“I immensely enjoyed reading this book. It is a must for anyone interested in the way our mind processes language. It offers an intriguing perspective on the relation between the architecture of the grammar and the organization of the human interpretive system.”
Eric Reuland, Utrecht institute of Linguistics OTS
“Drawing on results from cross-modal studies, from aphasiology, and from ERP research, not to mention a range of current descriptive frameworks characterizing antecedent-anaphor relations under a variety of grammatical and semantic conditions, Petra Burkhardt has produced significant work that represents essential reading for anyone investigating the syntax-discourse interface and brain/language research.”
“Burkhardt's work represents a comprehensive and careful application of psycholinguistic methods to one of the most interesting linguistic issues, that is the issue of linguistic dependencies. Having conducted a series of well-designed and creative experiments, Burkhardt is able to demonstrate how theoretical considerations find a direct reflection in the way language system is organized. A wide variety of experiments ranging from studies with Broca's aphasics to EEG/ERP experimentation with unimpaired adults make the claims particularly strong. A very well written and deeply informed linguistically, this book will be of clear interest both to students and professionals in many fields of psycholinguistics.”
Subject classification |
Linguistics