Syntactic and Semantic Variation in Copular Sentences (Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today)

✍ Scribed by Daniel J. Wilson

• Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company
• Year: 2020
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 177
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book presents a novel account of syntactic and semantic variation in copular and existential sentences in Classical Hebrew. Like many languages, the system of Classical Hebrew copular sentences is quite complex, containing zero, pronominal, and verbal forms as well as eventive and inchoative semantics. Approaching this subject from the framework of Distributed Morphology provides an elegant and comprehensive explanation for both the syntactic and semantic variation in these sentences. This book also presents a theoretical model for analyzing copular sentences in other languages included related phenomena– such as pseudo-copulas. It is also a demonstration of what can be gained by applying modern linguistic analyses to dead languages. Citing and building off previous studies on this topic, this book will be of interest to those interested in the theoretical examination of copular and existential sentences and to those interested in Classical Hebrew more specifically.

✦ Table of Contents

Syntactic and Semantic Variation in Copular Sentences
Editorial page
Title page
Copyright page
Table of contents
Acknowledgements
A note on Hebrew transcription
Preface
Syntactic and semantic variation incopular sentencesInsights from Classical Hebrew
1. Introduction
2. Non-verbal predication in cross-linguistic and theoretical perspective
2.1 Theories of non-verbal predication
2.2 The role of the copula
2.3 Predicate types and the challenge of lexical categorization
3. Non-verbal predication in Classical Hebrew
3.1 Verbless clauses
Excursus on so-called “nominal clause”: A brief history of CH terminology
3.2 Hyh clauses
3.3 PRON
4. A theory of syntactic and semantic variation in copular sentences with insights from the system of Classical Hebrew
4.1 An introduction to Distributed Morphology and its relevance to copular constructions
4.2 Syntax
4.3 Semantics
5. The copula in the left-periphery
6. Existentials in Classical Hebrew
6.1 The existential/predicational distinction
6.2 The semantics of existential sentences
6.3 The syntax of existential sentences
6.4 The shape of existentials in Classical Hebrew
6.5 Diachronic change in ancient Hebrew existentials
6.6 Predicative possession in Classical Hebrew
7. Conclusions and a way forward for analyzing copular and existential sentences
References
Index