Kersti Börjars: Lexical Functional Grammar

EVENEMANG

You find the schedule here and an outline of the course below.

Lexical Functional Grammar

Stockholm University, April 2012
Kersti Börjars, k.borjars@manchester.ac.uk

In this course, we will look at arguments in favour of a multi-dimensional architecture of the kind exemplified by Lexical-Functional Grammar (LFG). Evidence in favour of separating out c(onstituent)-structure, f(unctional)-structure a(rgument)-structure and i(nformation)-structure will be discussed. The formalism will be explained and students will learn how to provide c-structure and f-structure representations for linguistic units and how to map the two. The relation between argument structure will be explored and Lexical Mapping Theory, which links the two, will be explained. We will consider a number of morpho-syntactic topics and how they are analysed within LFG; the interaction between morphology and syntax (agreement, pro-drop etc), discrepancies between semantic and syntactic structures (control, raising) and long-distance dependencies. Some recent developments in LFG will be discussed briefly.

If students want to get a book for the course, I recommend:
Falk, Yehuda. 2001. Lexical-Functional Grammar: an introduction to parallel constraint-based syntax, Stanford, Ca: CSLI Publications.

Other general books are:

Bresnan, Joan. 2001. Lexical-Functional Grammar, Oxford: Blackwell.
Dalrymple, Mary. 2001. Lexical Functional Grammar, New York: Academic press.

Information about LFG and further readings can be found at: http://www.essex.ac.uk/linguistics/external/LFG//