The German Language A Linguistic Introduction

by Boase-Beier, Jean; Lodge, Ken R.

• ISBN13: 9780631231394
• ISBN10: 0631231390
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-01-27
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

The German Language introduces students of German to a linguistic way of looking at the language. Written from a Chomskyan perspective, this volume covers the basic structural components of the German language: syntax, morphology, phonetics, phonology, and the lexicon. Chapters on stylistics, historical background, and contemporary variation complete the discussion of German. The book is enhanced by exercises, definitions of key terms, and suggestions for further reading. This volume is a valuable resource not only for students of German language and literature, but also for linguists with little or no background in the language.

Author Biography

Jean Boase-Beier is Senior Lecturer in German, Linguistics and Translation Studies in the School of Language, Linguistics and Translation Studies of the University of East Anglia, where she runs the MA course in literary translation. She is author of Poetic Compounds: The Principles of Poetic Language in Modern English Poetry (1987) as well as many articles on morphology and translation. She is also editor of The Practices of Literary Translation (with M. Holman, 1999).

Ken Lodge is Senior Lecturer in Linguistics and Phonetics at the School of Language, Linguistics and Translation Studies of the University of East Anglia. He is author of Studies in the Phonology of Colloquial English (1984), as well as numerous articles on phonology.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Abbreviations	xi
Introduction	1	(15)
What is the German Language?	1	(2)
A Linguistic Description	3	(2)
The Grammar and Grammatical Knowledge	5	(6)
Other Lingustic Knowledge	11	(3)
Further Reading	14	(2)
Syntax	16	(32)
The Concept of Syntax	16	(6)
Phrase Structures of German	22	(6)
Case in German	28	(4)
The Position of the German Verb	32	(8)
Syntactic Processes	40	(5)
Further Reading	45	(3)
Exercises	46	(2)
Morphology	48	(42)
Morphemes and Morphology	48	(4)
Morphology and Word-Formation	52	(26)
Inflection	53	(2)
Derivation	55	(7)
Compounding	62	(7)
Conversion	69	(3)
Other Morphological Processes	72	(6)
The Relationship between Morphology and Phonology	78	(2)
Productivity	80	(2)
Borrowings from Other Languages	82	(3)
The Relationship between Morphology and Syntax	85	(3)
Further Reading	88	(2)
Exercises	89	(1)
Phonetics	90	(17)
Introduction	90	(1)
Air-stream Type	91	(1)
State of the Glottis	92	(1)
State of the Velum	93	(1)
Oral Articulators	93	(1)
Manner	94	(2)
Lip Position	96	(1)
Vocoid Articulators	97	(3)
Place of Articulation	100	(2)
Resonance	102	(1)
Voice Onset Time	103	(1)
The Transcription of German and English	104	(2)
Further Reading	106	(1)
Exercises	106	(1)
Phonology	107	(34)
Preliminaries	107	(3)
Syllable Structure	110	(7)
The Obstruents	117	(6)
Affricates	123	(1)
Nasals	124	(1)
Other Consonants	125	(2)
Vowels	127	(6)
Connected Speech	133	(7)
Assimilation	134	(2)
Lenition	136	(1)
Shortening	137	(1)
Deletion	138	(2)
Further Reading	140	(1)
Exercises	140	(1)
Lexis	141	(23)
The Lexicon and the Nature of Lexical Entries	141	(2)
Thematic Structure	143	(2)
Categories of Lexical Items	145	(2)
The Meaning of Lexical Items	147	(3)
The Nature of Lexical Items	150	(4)
Relations among Lexical Items	154	(2)
Sense Relations	156	(6)
Further Reading	162	(2)
Exercises	163	(1)
Stylistics	164	(29)
Stylistics and the Style of Texts	164	(1)
Style and Deviation	165	(5)
Stylistic Principles	170	(2)
Metaphor	172	(3)
Repetition	175	(2)
Iconicity	177	(3)
Compression	180	(2)
Ambiguity	182	(4)
Cohesion	186	(2)
Style and Choice	188	(3)
Further Reading	191	(2)
Exercises	192	(1)
Historical Background	193	(22)
Preliminaries	193	(2)
Phonology	195	(4)
Umlaut	199	(1)
Morphology	200	(4)
Syntactic Changes	204	(2)
Lexical and Semantic Changes	206	(4)
External Influences	210	(3)
Further Reading	213	(2)
Exercises	214	(1)
Contemporary Variation	215	(22)
Preliminaries	215	(3)
Variation by Use	218	(7)
Variation by User	225	(11)
Regional Accents	226	(5)
Morphological and Syntactic Variation	231	(3)
Lexical Variation	234	(2)
Further Reading	236	(1)
Exercises	236	(1)
References	237	(12)
Index	249