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REVIEWS

REVIEWS R. S. Jackendoff, Semantic Interpretation in Generative Grammar (^ Studies in Linguistics). Cambridge, Mass., M.I.T. Press, 1972. Pp. xii + 400. For many interested parties (not least students of literature) the arid test of a linguistic theory is what it has to say about meaning. The manner of incorporating semantics into a grammar has been the crucial issue in the early and mid seventies in the dispute between generative semanticists (believers in semantic syntax) and interpretive semanticists (believers in an independent syntax). Since much attention has been given to the former approach, it is worth pausing to ask just how much there is to be said on the interpretive side. We may do worse than consider the reasonably cogent account given by Jackendoff. To evaluate the approach we need to review the theoretical proposals äs outlined (in Chapter 1), and to see how well these work when applied to particular areas of the grammar. We shall concentrate on the areas of "thematic relations" (alias case grammar, chapter 2), adverbials (chapter 3), and focus and presupposition (chapter 6). Basically, Jackendoff's proposal is that the problems of Interpretation thrown up by quantifiers, negation, coreference and certain adverbials, so much discussed http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Literary Semantics de Gruyter

REVIEWS

Journal of Literary Semantics , Volume 6 (2) – Jan 1, 1977
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Publisher
de Gruyter
Copyright
Copyright © 1977 by the
ISSN
0341-7638
eISSN
1613-3838
DOI
10.1515/jlse.1977.6.2.94
Publisher site
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Abstract

R. S. Jackendoff, Semantic Interpretation in Generative Grammar (^ Studies in Linguistics). Cambridge, Mass., M.I.T. Press, 1972. Pp. xii + 400. For many interested parties (not least students of literature) the arid test of a linguistic theory is what it has to say about meaning. The manner of incorporating semantics into a grammar has been the crucial issue in the early and mid seventies in the dispute between generative semanticists (believers in semantic syntax) and interpretive semanticists (believers in an independent syntax). Since much attention has been given to the former approach, it is worth pausing to ask just how much there is to be said on the interpretive side. We may do worse than consider the reasonably cogent account given by Jackendoff. To evaluate the approach we need to review the theoretical proposals äs outlined (in Chapter 1), and to see how well these work when applied to particular areas of the grammar. We shall concentrate on the areas of "thematic relations" (alias case grammar, chapter 2), adverbials (chapter 3), and focus and presupposition (chapter 6). Basically, Jackendoff's proposal is that the problems of Interpretation thrown up by quantifiers, negation, coreference and certain adverbials, so much discussed

Journal

Journal of Literary Semantics – de Gruyter

Published: Jan 1, 1977

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