In
linguisticsLinguistics is the scientific study of natural language. Linguistics encompasses a number of sub-fields. An important topical division is between the study of language structure and the study of meaning...
,
Relational Grammar (RG) is a syntactic theory which argues that primitive grammatical relations provide the ideal means to state syntactic rules in universal terms. Relational grammar began as an alternative to
Transformational grammarIn linguistics, a transformational grammar, or transformational-generative grammar , is a generative grammar, especially of a natural language, that has been developed in a Chomskyan tradition. Additionally, transformational grammar is the Chomskyan tradition that gives rise to specific...
.
In Relational Grammar,
constituentsIn syntactic analysis, a constituent is a word or a group of words that functions as a single unit within a hierarchical structure.Phrases are usually constituents of a clause, but clauses may also be embedded into a bigger structure...
that serve as the arguments to
predicatesIn traditional grammar, a predicate is one of the two main parts of a sentence . For the simple sentence "John [is yellow]," John acts as the subject, and is yellow acts as the predicate, a subsequent description of the subject headed with a verb.In current linguistic semantics, a predicate is an...
are numbered. This numbering system corresponds loosely to the notions of
subjectThe subject is one of the two main constituents of a clause, according to a tradition that can be tracked back to Aristotle. The other constituent is the predicate...
, direct object and indirect object.
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Relational grammar' Start a new discussion about 'Relational grammar' Answer questions from other users |
In
linguisticsLinguistics is the scientific study of natural language. Linguistics encompasses a number of sub-fields. An important topical division is between the study of language structure and the study of meaning...
,
Relational Grammar (RG) is a syntactic theory which argues that primitive grammatical relations provide the ideal means to state syntactic rules in universal terms. Relational grammar began as an alternative to
Transformational grammarIn linguistics, a transformational grammar, or transformational-generative grammar , is a generative grammar, especially of a natural language, that has been developed in a Chomskyan tradition. Additionally, transformational grammar is the Chomskyan tradition that gives rise to specific...
.
Term Relations
In Relational Grammar,
constituentsIn syntactic analysis, a constituent is a word or a group of words that functions as a single unit within a hierarchical structure.Phrases are usually constituents of a clause, but clauses may also be embedded into a bigger structure...
that serve as the arguments to
predicatesIn traditional grammar, a predicate is one of the two main parts of a sentence . For the simple sentence "John [is yellow]," John acts as the subject, and is yellow acts as the predicate, a subsequent description of the subject headed with a verb.In current linguistic semantics, a predicate is an...
are numbered. This numbering system corresponds loosely to the notions of
subjectThe subject is one of the two main constituents of a clause, according to a tradition that can be tracked back to Aristotle. The other constituent is the predicate...
, direct object and indirect object. The numbering scheme is subject -> (1), direct object -> (2) and indirect object -> (3). A schematic representation of a clause in this formalism might look like:
| 1 |
P |
3 |
2 |
| John |
gave |
Mary |
a kiss |
Universals
One of the components of RG theory is a set of linguistic universals stated in terms of the numbered roles presented above. Such a universal is the
Stratal Uniqueness Law which states that there can be "at most
one 1, 2, and 3 per stratum.
Further reading
- Blake, Barry J. (1990). Relational grammar. London: Routledge.
- Perlmutter, David M. (1980). Relational grammar. In E. A. Moravcsik & J. R. Wirth (Eds.), Syntax and semantics: Current approaches to syntax (Vol. 13, pp. 195-229). New York: Academic Press.
- Perlmutter, David M. (Ed.). (1983). Studies in relational grammar 1. Chicago: Chicago University Press.
- Perlmutter, David M.; & Rosen, Carol G. (Eds.). (1984). Studies in relational grammar 2. Chicago: Chicago University Press.
- Postal, Paul M.; & Joseph, Brian D. (Eds.). (1990). Studies in relational grammar 3. Chicago: Chicago University Press.
External links