A theory of universal grammar as applied to a group of savage languages
Temple, R.C.
In reviewing lately Mr. Portman’s “Notes on the Languages ofthe South Andaman Group of Tribes,” I pointed out that hehad used a pamphlet of my own, privately printed in 1883,entitles “A brief Exposition of a Theory of UniversalGrammar”, which was specially designed to meet the verydifficulties he had to face in giving a general idea oflanguages constructed on lines at first sight very differentfrom those on whose structure modern European Grammar isbased.I also pointed out that the pamphlet in question arose outof the practical impossibility of using the usualinflectional system of Grammar, as taught in Europe for theaccurate description of a group of agglutinative languages.And that it had its immediate origin in the criticisms ofthe late Mr. A.J. Ellis. Mr. Ellis explained that in orderto adequately represent for scientific readers such a formof speech on the Andamanese speech, we require new terms andan entirely new set of grammatical conceptions, which shallnot bend an agglutinative language to our inflectionaltranslation (from the introduction).
- ISBN: 978-3-8629-0090-9
- Editorial: LINCOM EUROPA GmbH
- Encuadernacion: Rústica
- Páginas: 43
- Fecha Publicación: 01/01/2012
- Nº Volúmenes: 1
- Idioma: Inglés