The syntax of subordination By Dagmar Haumann (review)

Abstract

218 LANGUAGE, VOLUME 76, NUMBER 1 (2000) ratives in German, English, Tagalog, Indonesian, Nunggubuyu, and Usan. In his introductory chapter (1-18) H maps out the direction of the study to follow, beginning with three empirical observations. He notes first that (apparently ) all languages contain demonstratives, that is, deictic elements which may appear adnominally. Second, while only a small number oflanguages have definite articles per se, many languages have functional elements which resemble definite articles, all descending from demonstratives Third, according to H, languages differ in the degree to which nominal expressions may be analyzed as configurational, i.e. he questions the universality of such structures as NP and DP. Rather, H suggests that the hierarchical structure of nominal expressions may be understood as scalar across languages. H's caution in making universal generalizations about syntactic structure leads him to generally avoid terms such as 'noun' and 'determiner' in favor of 'N(ominal)-element' and 'D-element', which includes deictic elements as well as their grammaticalized descendants, definite articles , and similar functional elements. Ch. 2 (19-33) argues that in order to accurately describe the grammaticalization of demonstratives into functional elements, it is necessary to describe the semanto-pragmatic and syntactic characteristics of the nominal expressions in which they occur increasingly over time. In Ch. 3 (34-108), H explores the semantic and pragmatic features of D-elements as they are employed in discourse. Of central importance to him is the degree to which these elements, especially demonstratives, are used by a speaker 'anamnestically ', i.e. to refer to specific knowledge the speaker believes to be shared by his/her interlocutor. Further, speaking of historical reflexes of adnominal demonstratives, such as definite articles, H argues that increasing grammaticalization is not only correlated with a loss of semanto-pragmatic transparency but also with an increase in overall configurationality . That is, through the expanded use of D + N expressions constructions arise which are semantically noncompositional and which may be properly analyzed as syntactically structured. The idea that 'emergence of syntactic structure' in nominal expressions is a consequence of the grammaticalization of deictic elements is the focus of Ch. 4 (109-57). In Ch. 5 (158-228), H presents a crosslinguistic typology of grammaticalized adnominal D-elements, subdividing them into two major groups, 'phrase articles ' (e.g. definite articles in languages such as German and English) and 'linking articles' (e.g. Tagalog na). He follows up this chapter with a brief summary (229-32) and appendices consisting ofthe texts from the six major languages examined. Though a subject index would have been helpful, H does provide lists of persons and languages cited. [Mark L. Louden, University of Texas at Austin.] The syntax of subordination. By Dagmar Haumann. (Linguistische Arbeiten 373.) Tübingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag, 1997. Pp. vii, 278. In this monograph Haumann provides a fine review of the various ways subordinate clauses and the elements which introduce them have been treated in generative grammar. Further, she offers an original analysis which clearly distinguishes the different types of subordinator. H points out that in previous work subordinators have been analyzed as either complementizers or prepositions, i.e. as functional or lexical heads. Here she argues, on the basis of English data, that a third category, 'Subcon', which has both functional and lexical features, must be introduced . While H continues to analyze a number of English subordinators as complementizers (e.g. that) and prepositions (viz. temporal adverbials such as after), she assigns the majority (nontemporal adverbials ) to Subcon, e.g. although, because, unless. The book is divided into three parts. In Part 1 which consists of three chapters, H reviews a number of the major conceptual aspects sunounding the analysis of subordination in generative theory through the 1970s. Ch. 1 ('Subordination in early generative grammar—An instance of recursiveness', 7-24) deals with the phrase structure analysis of subordinate clauses as analogous to noun phrases or adverbial phrases. In Ch. 2 ('Complementizers', 25-44), H compares the status of complementizers in transformational and phrase structure analyses, preferring the latter for its inclusion of semantic features in the description of complementizers. H goes on in Ch. 3 ('Subordinating conjunctions—a question of categorization ', 45-62...