This book reconsiders the classic topics of linguistic analysis and reflects on universal
aspects of language from a typological and comparative perspective. The aim is to show the
crucial interactions which occur at the different levels of grammar (phonology morphology
lexicon syntax and pragmatics) illustrating their various roles in the structural
organization of the sentence and exploring how interface relations contribute to yield
interpretation in typologically different languages. The structural analysis is set within the
Generative framework of grammar though theoretical tenets are the outcome rather than the
starting point of a study based on the observation of data.As the basic intent is to show
different phenomena across a wide range of languages a 'semi-guided' method has been adopted
in order to facilitate comprehension and assist the reader in the identification of language
universals. For every topic the discussion of previous literature is followed by
cross-linguistic evidence so that theory can be checked against data and the relevant
generalizations drawn. Ultimately this approach reveals that grammar is based on a very
limited number of universal principles which operate yielding different effects at the
different levels of the grammar. It implies that a real understanding of the language-system
can only be derived from a comparative analysis in which the notion of interface plays a
crucial role. The seven chapters in the volume deal with categories and functions argument
structure syntactic functions the structure of noun phrases adverbial modification
information structure and illocutive force. Throughout the observation of data from 74
languages is a crucial element in the formulation and understanding of theoretical tenets. This
book is highly recommended for researchers and students interested in formal analysis from a
typological comparative perspective.
