|
Functional theories of grammar are those approaches to the study of language that see the functions of language and its elements to be the key to understanding linguistic processes and structures. Functional theories of language propose that since language is fundamentally a tool, it is reasonable to assume that its structures are best analyzed and understood with reference to the functions they carry out. Functional theories of grammar differ from formal theories of grammar, in that the latter seeks to define the different elements of language and describe the way they relate to each other as systems of formal rules or operations, whereas the former defines the functions performed by language and then relates these functions to the linguistic elements that carry them out. This means that functional theories of grammar tend to pay attention to the way language is actually used in communicative context, and not just to the formal relations between linguistic elements. In a broad sense the theories implicit in most work within descriptive linguistics and linguistic typology fit within the category of functional linguistics. ==Frameworks== There are several distinct grammatical theories that employ a functional approach. *The structuralist functionalism of the Prague school was the earliest functionalist framework developed in the 1920s.〔Newmeyer, Frederick. (2001). The Prague School and North American functionalist approaches to syntax. Journal of Linguistics vol. 37. 101 - 126〕〔Novak, P., Sgall, P. 1968. On the Prague functional approach. Trav. Ling. Prague 3:291-97. Tuscaloosa: Univ. Alabama Press〕 *André Martinet's Functional Syntax, with two major books, ''A functional view of language'' (1962) and ''Studies in Functional Syntax'' (1975). Martinet is one of the most famous French linguists and can be regarded as the father of French functionalism. *Simon Dik's Functional Grammar, originally developed in the 1970s and 80s, has been influential and inspired many other functional theories.〔Dik, S. C. 1980. Studies in Functional Grammar. London: Academic〕〔Dik, S. C. 1981. Functional Grammar. Dordrecht/Cinnaminson NJ: Foris.〕 It has been developed into Functional Discourse Grammar by the linguist Kees Hengeveld.〔Hengeveld, Kees & Mackenzie, J. Lachlan (2010), Functional Discourse Grammar. In: Bernd Heine and Heiko Narrog eds, The Oxford Handbook of Linguistic Analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 367-400.〕〔Hengeveld, Kees & Mackenzie, J. Lachlan (2008), Functional Discourse Grammar: A typologically-based theory of language structure. Oxford: Oxford University Press.〕 *Michael Halliday's systemic functional grammar argues that the explanation of how language works "needed to be grounded in a functional analysis, since language had evolved in the process of carrying out certain critical functions as human beings interacted with their ... 'eco-social' environment".〔Halliday, M.A.K. forthcoming. Meaning as Choice. In Fontaine, L, Bartlett, T, and O'Grady, G. Systemic Functional Linguistics: Exploring Choice. Cambridge University Press. p1.〕〔Halliday, M. A. K. 1984. A Short Introduction to Functional Grammar. London: Arnold〕 Halliday draws on the work of Bühler and Malinowski. The link between Firthian linguistics and Alfred North Whitehead also deserves a mention.〔See David G. Butt, Whiteheadian and Functional Linguistics in Michel Weber and Will Desmond (eds.). ''(Handbook of Whiteheadian Process Thought )'' (Frankfurt / Lancaster, Ontos Verlag, 2008, vol. II) ; cf. Ronny Desmet & Michel Weber (edited by), ''(Whitehead. The Algebra of Metaphysics. Applied Process Metaphysics Summer Institute Memorandum )'', Louvain-la-Neuve, Les Éditions Chromatika, 2010.〕 *Role and reference grammar, developed by Robert Van Valin employs functional analytical framework with a somewhat formal mode of description. In RRG, the description of a sentence in a particular language is formulated in terms of its semantic structure and communicative functions, as well as the grammatical procedures used to express these meanings.〔Foley, W. A., Van Valin, R. D. Jr. 1984. Functional Syntax and Universal Grammar. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press〕〔Van Valin, Robert D., Jr. (Ed.). (1993). ''Advances in Role and Reference Grammar''. Amsterdam: Benjamins.〕 *Danish functional grammar combines Saussurean/Hjelmslevian structuralism with a focus on pragmatics and discourse.〔Engberg-Pedersen, Elisabeth; Michael Fortescue; Peter Harder; Lars Heltoft; Lisbeth Falster Jakobsen (eds.). (1996) Content, expression and structure: studies in Danish functional grammar. John Benjamins Publishing Company.〕 Dik characterises functional grammar as follows: Because of its emphasis on usage, communicative function, and the social context of language, functional grammar differs significantly from other linguistic theories which stress purely formal approaches to grammar, notably Chomskyan generative grammar. Functional grammar is strongly associated with the school of linguistic typology that takes its lead from the work of Joseph Greenberg.〔Bates, E., MacWhinney, B. 1982. Functionalist approaches to grammar. In Language Acquisition: The State of the Art, ed. E. Wanner, L. Gleitman, pp. 173- 218. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press〕〔Dirven, R., Fried, W., eds. 1984. Functionalism in Linguistics. Amsterdam: Benjamins〕〔Heath, J. 1975. Some functional relationships in grammar. Language 51:89- 104〕〔Heath, J. 1978. Functional universals. BLS 4:86-95〕〔Langacker, R. W. 1974. Movement rules in functional perspective. Language 50(4):630-64〕〔Bybee, Joan L. (1998) A functionalist approach to grammar and its evolution. Evolution of Communication Volume: 2, Issue: 2, Pages: 249-278〕〔Newmeyer, Frederick. 1998. Language Form and Language Function. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.〕〔Anstey, Matthew P. & Mackenzie, J. Lachlan. 2005. Crucial Readings in Functional Grammar. De Gruyter - Mouton.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Functional theories of grammar」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|