Linguistic Theory in America (2nd Edition)

Linguistic Theory in America, Second Edition focuses on the origin and development of the theory of transformational generative grammar. The book first elaborates on the state of American linguistics in the mid-1950s, the Chomskyan revolution, and the movement from syntactic structures to the aspects of the theory of syntax. Discussions focus on the incorporation of semantics into the model, revisions in the syntactic component, generative phonology, impact of generative grammar on other fields, syntactic structures, and structural linguistics. The text then takes a look at the rise of generative semantics and linguistic wars. Topics include late generative semantics, collapse and legacy of generative semantics, steps to generative semantics, and emerging opposition to generative semantics. The manuscript elaborates on the extended standard theory and approaches to syntax, including generalized phrase structure grammar, constraints on transformational rules, and constraints on surface structure and base rules. The text is a dependable source of data for researchers interested in the theory of transformational generative grammar.