Formalism and Functionalism in Linguistics

Margaret Thomas is Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Slavic and Eastern Languages and Literatures at Boston College, USA.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1 Defining ‘Formalism’ and ‘Functionalism’ 1.1 Starting Out 1.2 Defining the Terms 1.3 The Engineer and the Collector1.4 Two Examples 1.5 On the Architecture of Formalism Versus Functionalism References Chapter 2 Background to the Current Debate2.1 Is There a Starting Point? 2.2 Before the Twentieth Century 2.3 Twentieth-Century Formalist Linguistics to 1950 2.4 Twentieth-Century Functionalism from the Prague Circle to Pike 2.5 Why the Background Matters References Chapter 3 Contemporary Formalist Linguistics3.1 The Internal Structure of Modern Formalism 3.2 What Makes Modern Formalism Formalist? 3.2.1 Early Transformational Grammar 3.2.2 Principles and Parameters 3.2.3 The Minimalist Program 3.2.4 The Common Formalist Character of Generative Grammar 3.3 Diversity Within Contemporary Formalism References Chapter 4 Contemporary Functionalist Linguistics4.1 The Internal Structure of Modern Functionalism 4.2 The Scope of Modern of Functionalism 4.2.1 Systemic Functional Linguistics 4.2.2 Langacker’s Cognitive Grammar 4.2.3 Talmy Givón 4.3 Taxonomies of Modern Functionalist Linguistics 4.4 Graphic Style in Modern Formalism and Functionalism References Chapter 5 Formalism and Functionalism in Action5.1 Applying Formalism and Functionalism 5.2 In the Analysis of Syntactic Phenomena5.2.1 Word Order 5.2.2 Transitivity 5.3 In Conceptualization and Study of Child Language Learning5.4 In Debate About the Origin of Human Language5.5 Gaps, Overlap, and Combat Between Formalism and Functionalism ReferencesChapter 6 Formalism and Functionalism Juxtaposed6.1 Formalism and Functionalism in Silhouette 6.2 Face to Face 6.2.1 In Conversation 6.2.2 How Formal Is Functionalism? 6.2.3 How Functionalist Is Formalism? 6.3 Side by Side 6.3.1 Explanation 6.3.2 (Non)complementarity6.4 Back to Back ReferencesChapter 7 Conclusion7.1 Engineers and Collectors, Revisited 7.2 Portrait of a Linguistic Mindset 7.3 Formalism and Functionalism Face the World Online ReferencesAppendix Characteristics of Formalism Versus FunctionalismIndex