A Dictionary of Grammatical Terms in Linguistics

Description

This is a dictionary of grammatical terms written for students and teachers of linguistics. It covers a huge number of descriptive terms in syntax and morphology, and contains both traditional and contemporary approaches to the theory of grammar. It also includes the chief terminology from mathematical and computational linguistics. Apart from definitions and examples, the book also provides pronounciations, notational devices and symbols, earliest sources of terms and suggestions for further reading, as well as recommendations about competing and conflicting usages. This book has few theoretical axes to grind; it devotes space to the various theoretical approaches in proportion to their recent importance, but it concentrates most heavily on non-theory-bound descriptive terminology. This makes it unlikely to date quickly, and it should remain a definitive reference source for many years to come.

"Two laudable features stand out in this dictionary. First, when a term is known to have several usages, the author attempts to distinguish and exemplify competing and sometimes even contradictory meanings. Second, in many instances, entries include references to sources where the terms were coined or where detailed information about them can be found...Students, teachers, and researchers in linguistics and related disciplines will wecome this work as an instrument that alleviates their problems with grammatical terms and their meanings."-American Reference Books Annual, 1995