Efficiency and Complexity in Grammars

by John A. Hawkins

Book Overview

John Hawkins demonstrates a clear link between how languages are used and the conventions of their grammars. He sets out a theory in which performance shapes grammars and accounts for the variation patterns found in the world's languages. He backs this up with evidence from a wide array of languages. He also considers the profound consequences of this correspondence for explanations of language change and evolution, and for models of performance and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0199252696
• ISBN13: 9780199252695
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.3" x 9.1"