664 LANGUAGE, VOLUME 67, NUMBER 3 (1991) stantiation. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the interaction of tone, stress, and intonation. [Kenneth L. Field, University of California at Santa Barbara.] Explorations in Korean syntax and semantics . By Seok Choong Song. (Korea research monograph, 14.) Berkeley: Institute of East Asian Studies of the University of California , 1988. Pp. xiv, 378. $20.00. This volume draws together the results of twenty years of S's research on the structure of Korean. It consists of four main parts dealing with grammatical markers (Chs. 1-5), negation (Chs. 6-11), semantic roles (Chs. 12-16), and 'New approaches to old problems', a collection of articles on plurality (Ch. 17), the copula (Ch. 18), and the interpretation of swipta 'easy' (Ch. 19). As the selection of topics indicates, this is not a comprehensive grammar of Korean; instead , S concentrates on presenting an in-depth description of a fragment of Korean grammar and an explanation ofthe grammatical processes involved. There is much to be discovered here that makes this volume worthwhile for syntacticians , typologists, and Koreanists alike. S uncovers previously unnoticed facts (e.g. that plural marking is not optional but obligatory in nouns when they have definite reference), debunks misguided traditional views (such as the purported ability of Korean nouns to conjugate like verbs), and proposes new analyses to resolve various controversies about the structure of Korean (e.g. regarding the existence of the copula). The consistent use of detailed interlinear glosses and a table contrasting the symbols of the Korean alphabet with the various Romanization systems (ix-x) are particularly helpful . The main drawback of the book is its badly outdated theoretical framework. Though published in 1988, the material was actually written up in 1983; instead of adopting a then-current approach, S opts to retain a 'generative-transformational ' model in the vein of Chomsky 1965 (Aspects ofthe theory ofsyntax, MIT Press), in which the chapters appear to have been originally developed. Ch. 7 unapologetically defends a ore-Aspects model. As a result, arbitrarily stipulated transformational rules often masquerade as 'explanatory' accounts for such problems as case assignment, negative placement , and the like; the existence of a VP node, much debated under the heading of configurationality , is taken for granted; and 'rule ordering ' figures prominently in the analysis. S is himself uncomfortable about the shortcomings of the theory (49) and, fortunately, avoids its formal excesses (e.g. tree pruning). Indeed, the strongest chapters of this book are solid descriptive contributions which rely on grammaticality contrasts that must be captured by any theoretical framework. S's work on the semantics of particles (Ch. 4), locatives (Ch. 15), and the copula (Ch. 18) are especially interesting in this regard. Several of the chapters (2, 4, 6, 15, and 17) were previously published elsewhere. The book is very readable, full ofinteresting observations, and relatively free of misprints. (To list a few: eyeke should be eykey, p. 46, a features, p. 50, and casuative, p. 173.) [Franz Muller-Gotama , California State University, Fullerton.] Brisante Wörter von Agitation bis Zeitgeist : Ein Lexikon zum öffentlichen Sprachgebrauch. By Gerhard StrauB, Ulrike HaB, and Gisela Harras. (Schriften des Instituts für deutsche Sprache, vol. 2). Berlin & New York: de Gruyter, 1989. Paper DM 48.00. This new dictionary, which is actually three in one, contains words that are 'brisant'—by implication, difficult and dangerous to deal with (585). The authors' goal is to deal with contemporary German vocabulary in the various German -speaking countries in Europe. Each of the authors wrote one of the lexicon sections, entitled 'Politics and ideology' (27-394), 'Environment ' (397-557), and 'Culture and education' (361-732). A composite index follows a list of sources (733-48), dating from 1815 to 1988. Newspapers, journals, and occasional government publications used are mainly from 1985-1986. Each article presents a head word with related terms, i.e. derivatives or words from the same semantic field, such as Feminismus, Machismo, and Sexismus under the key word Chauvinismus . In many cases an etymological explanation is given, but not for words such as Störfall, the morphological structure of which is thought to BOOK NOTICES 665 be obvious. Still...
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May 30, 2024
Sanghee Lee + 1
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