Linguistics 595 KA:   
Functional Syntax                    Girvetz Hall 1115

Scott DeLancey
delancey@darkwing.uoregon.edu
Office: South Hall 3702
Office Hours: M-Tu 12-1:00, or by appointment

Readings: There is a readings packet of lectures, which can also be read or 
downloaded from the course website.  It is not yet 
complete; later lectures will be posted on the website.

Each student should consult with me, in person or by e-mail, about outside 
readings geared to their particular research interests and needs. 

Requirements: Two short (2-4,000 words) research reports.  These must be 
data-intensive explorations of a particular syntactic problem or question 
in a specific language.  The language will not be English except by 
special permission.  The first report is due July 11, the second July 30.  
Here are some sample topics which should be applicable to any language:

      	A problem of categories: Discuss a minor or unique category in a 
	language.  Discuss data which prove its categorial status.  Posit 
	a functionally and/or diachronically-based explanation
    	for its existence.

     	A problem in case and grammatical relations: If the language has 
	a subclass of predicates or constructions which govern special 
	case marking (e.g. experiencer subjects),  is there any
     	semantic or other functional motivation for the pattern?  Is the 
	correlation of the pattern with its apparent function consistent, 
	or do only certain marked predicates show it?   If it isn't
     	consistent, can the data be accommodated within a functional framework?

     	Problems in clause combining: If the language distinguishes 
	different complement or other subordinating constructions, can you 
	identify any functional or diachronic explanation for how
     	the different constructions are used?

You are strongly encouraged to consult with me about your topics.

Course outline: The course will consist of 12 lectures, as follows:

1.   On Functionalism
2.   Lexical Categories
3.   Figure and Ground in Argument Structure
4.   Agents
     Oblique "Case" Categories
5.   Grammaticalization and the Gradience of Categories
6.   Issues in Categoriality and Phrase Structure
7.   Toward a Typology of Grammatical Relations
8.   Grammatical Relations:  Inverse and Split Ergative
9.   Grammatical Relations:  Subjects and Objects 
10.  Clause Chaining and Subordination
11.  Complementation
12.  Emergent Grammar