Foundations of Cognitive Grammar

Ronald W. Langacker is Professor of Linguistics at the University of California, San Diego. He is the author or editor of several books on linguistics.

"It represents important changes in the thrust of linguistic approaches to language . . . It is rich, full, and thought-provoking . . . The issues it raises are significant and will be much debated in the future."—Linguistic Anthropology "It is impossible within the limits of a review to discuss, or even do justice to, the wealth of information and genuine insights that the book contains . . . Let us look forward to seeing the continuation of this promising approach to language. Langacker has written a highly stimulating first part; it will be exciting to see the sequel."—Canadian Journal of Linguistics "Understanding Langacker's grammar is made easier by the fact that, instead of using mathematical formalisms to prove his points, he uses common knowledge of language to persuade the reader . . . The book is valuable for several factors in addition to its clarification of grammar. The insights into verbal thought and meaning are prime reasons for recommending the book to the semantically inclined."—Et cetera

• Review and introduction Part I. Nominal Structure: 1. Nouns 2. Nominals: functional organization 3. Nominals: grounding and quantification 4. Nominal Constructions Part II. Clause Structure: 5. The auxiliary: clausal head 6. The auxiliary: grounding 7. Transitivity and grammatical relations 8. Marked clause structure 9. Ergativity and case Part III. Beyond the Clause: 10. Complex sentences 11. Further issues 12. Theoritical discussion Glossary References Index.