Time and Again: Theoretical Perspectives on Formal Linguistics: In Honor of D. Terrence Langendoen (Linguistik Aktuell Linguistics Today)

281 Pages·2009·3.71 MB·English

by  William D. Lewis

Time and Again
Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today (LA)
Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today (LA) provides a platform for original monograph
studies into synchronic and diachronic linguistics. Studies in LA confront empirical
and theoretical problems as these are currently discussed in syntax, semantics,
morphology, phonology, and systematic pragmatics with the aim to establish robust
empirical generalizations within a universalistic perspective.
General Editors
Werner Abraham Elly van Gelderen
University of Vienna / Rijksuniversiteit Arizona State University
Groningen
Advisory Editorial Board
Cedric Boeckx Christer Platzack
Harvard University University of Lund
Guglielmo Cinque Ian Roberts
University of Venice Cambridge University
Günther Grewendorf Lisa deMena Travis
J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt McGill University
Liliane Haegeman Sten Vikner
University of Lille, France University of Aarhus
Hubert Haider C. Jan-Wouter Zwart
University of Salzburg University of Groningen
Volume 135
Time and Again. Theoretical Perspectives on Formal Linguistics
Edited by William D. Lewis, Simin Karimi, Heidi Harley and Scott O. Farrar
Time and Again
Theoretical Perspectives on Formal Linguistics
In honor of D. Terence Langendoen
Edited by
William D. Lewis
Microsoft Research
Simin Karimi
University of Arizona
Heidi Harley
University of Arizona
Scott O. Farrar
University of Washington
John Benjamins Publishing Company
Amsterdam / Philadelphia
TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
8
American National Standard for Information Sciences – Permanence of
Paper for Printed Library Materials, ansi z39.48-1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Time and again : theoretical perspectives on formal linguistics in honor of D. Terence
Langendoen / edited by William D. Lewis ... [et al.].
p. cm. (Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today, issn 0166-0829 ; v. 135)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Linguistics. I. Lewis, William D., 1963-.
P121.T47 2008
410--dc22 2008035987
isbn 978 90 272 5518 1 (Hb; alk. paper)
© 2009 – John Benjamins B.V.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any
other means, without written permission from the publisher.
John Benjamins Publishing Co. · P.O. Box 36224 · 1020 me Amsterdam · The Netherlands
John Benjamins North America · P.O. Box 27519 · Philadelphia pa 19118-0519 · usa
Table of contents
Acknowledgements vii
Introduction ix
William D. Lewis, Simin Karimi, Scott O. Farrar and Heidi Harley
Part I Syntax and semantics
1. Inverse reflexives 3
Paul M. Postal and John Robert Ross
2. On the nature of the approximative expression num-odd 37
Sheila Dooley and Ferdinand de Haan
3. Skating along the syntactic verge: Experimental pragmatics and
understood elements of content 55
Merrill Garrett and Robert M. Harnish
4. Current challenges to the Lexicalist Hypothesis: An overview
and a critique 91
Frederick J. Newmeyer
Part II Psycholinguistics
5. On the homogeneity of syntax: How similar do coordinates and
subordinates look to the comprehension system? 121
Wayne Cowart and Tatiana Agupova
6. The effect of case marking on subject-verb agreement errors in English 135
Janet Nicol and Ines Antón-Méndez
7. First language acquisition of coordination: The mud-puddle study
and beyond 151
Barbara Lust, Suzanne Flynn, Yuchin Chien and Barbara Krawiec
8. Frequency effects in children’s syntactic and morphological development 177
Cecile McKee and Dana McDaniel
9. Abstract linguistic representations and innateness: The develop-
ment of determiners 189
Virginia Valian
vi Time and Again: Theoretical perspectives on formal linguistics
Part III Language as a formal system
10. One-level finite-state phonology 209
Michael Hammond
11. Biolinguistics today and Platonism yesterday 227
T. G. Bever
Part IV Standards
12. Linguistics as a community activity: The paradox of freedom
through standards 250
Gary F. Simons
13. Sherwin Cody’s school of English 251
Edwin L. Battistella
Index 263
Acknowledgements
First, we would like to acknowledge our enormous debt of gratitude to the authors
who contributed to this volume and who so graciously tolerated the numerous re-
visions and lengthy delays. Likewise, kudos go to the reviewers without whom this
volume could not have come to be: Brian Agbayani, David Basilico, Misha Becker,
Hagit Borer, Jidong Chen, Venita Dayal, Roland Pfau, LouAnn Gerken, Baden
Hughes, Orhan Orgun, Irina Sekerina, Dave Townsend, and Wendy Wilkins. We
would also like to thank the many people at the University of Arizona and else-
where who were champions of this volume in its early stages and encouraged us
to continue, including Andrew Carnie, Mike Hammond, Nancy Kelly, and Ben
Tucker. But our most heartfelt appreciation, admiration, and gratitude we reserve
for Terry Langendoen himself, whose unrivaled brilliance, tireless energy, and
extraordinary productivity over the years has been a source of inspiration to us
all. Nos es humilis.

Introduction
William D. Lewisa, Simin Karimic, Scott O. Farrarb,
and Heidi Harleyc
aMicrosoft Research/bUniversity of Washington/cUniversity of Arizona
This volume is an effort to pay tribute to D. Terence Langendoen for his significant
contributions to various areas of linguistics in a career that has spanned nearly
50 years. Langendoen’s influence on the field can be gauged not only by his own
unique contributions, but also by measuring his impact on the careers and schol-
arship of a large number of students, colleagues and collaborators. This volume
captures an essence of his career and his impact, containing papers written by
scholars who have worked closely with him over the years.
The success of generative linguistics can be attributed in no small part to
a number of Chomsky’s prolific students, especially to those who began their ca-
reers in the “generative revolution” of the 1960s. D. Terence Langendoen is one of
those students. He was in fact Chomsky’s first PhD student, completing his disser-
tation entitled Modern British Linguistics: A Study of its Theoretical and Substan-
tive Contributions in 1964. Langendoen’s eclectic publications have touched on
a wide variety of topics in generative linguistics and have echoed its most import-
ant trends and themes. Thus, Langendoen’s work acts as a testament to the com-
plexity of problems in generative linguistics.
Currently a Professor Emeritus of Linguistics from The University of Arizona,
and expert consultant at the National Science Foundation, Langendoen started
his first job in the Linguistics Department at The Ohio State University right after
his graduation in 1964. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1968. He then
moved to City University of New York in 1969 where he resided till 1988. He was
also a member of the Computer Science Department at the same university, and
a member of the PhD. Program in Linguistics at CUNY. In 1988, he was hired by
the Department of Linguistics at The University of Arizona where he served as
the Department Head until 1997, and continued as a professor in the same de-
partment until his retirement in 2005. He has been a fellow and a visiting profes-
sor in many areas in the world, including China, Holland, and across the US, at
a number of prestigious universities.