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9780199274345

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`In this fast-paced and provocative book, Newmeyer challenges some dearly held tenets of both functionalist and generativist theory. He argues, with characteristic clarity and verve, that, although Universal Grammar underlies much of human language, it is irrelevant to explaining typological generalisations. For that, we must look to performance, rather than competence.' David Adger, Queen Mary College, University of London `A remarkably readable and highly thought-provoking work which will undoubtedly help scholars to crystallize their own views with respect to current debates in theoretical linguistics and contribute to a wider understanding of these debates.' Anna Siewierska

...very well written, highly readable and extremely well informed... Marco Nicolis, Canadian Journal of Linguistics In this fast-paced and urovocative book, Newmeyer challenges nome dearly held tenets of both functionalist and generativist theory. He argues, with characteristic clarity and verve, that, although Universal Grammar underlies much of human language, it is irrelevant to explaining typological generalisations. For that, we must look to performance, rather than competence. David Adger, Queen Mary College, University of London ...an exciting and thought-provoking book Elly Van Gelderen, Folia Linguistica, 41/1-2

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Frederick J. Newmeyer is Howard and Frances Nostrand Professor of Linguistics at the University of Washington in Seattle where he has taught since 1969. He was Secretary-Treasurer of the Linguistic Society of America from 1989 to 1993 and its President in 2002. He specializes in syntax and the history of linguistics and in his current research program seeks to synthesize the results of formal and functional linguistics. He is the author of the books English Aspectual Verbs (1975), Linguistic Theory in America (1980), Grammatical Theory: Its Limits and its Possibilities (1983), The Politics of Linguistics (1986), Generative Linguistics: Historical Perspective (1996), and Language Form and Language Function (1998). He was also editor of the four-volume compilation Linguistics: The Cambridge Survey (1988).

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