Functional Grammar Series
Casper de Groot, J. Lachlan Mackenzie · Functional grammar series · 2009
In contemporary linguistics there is a strong interest in functionalist explanations. There can be little doubt that such explanations gain value from being embedded within a cogent theory of grammar, and this is precisely what is offered by Functional Grammar. In its current formulation, Functional Grammar analyses the clause as reflecting the interaction of three hierarchical structures with nested layers: in this way, interactional factors are integrated with semantic and morphosyntactic structure. The theorie furthermore ascribes a central role to the lexicon, showing how its internal structuring is reflected in linguistic regularities. Another characteristic of the grammar is that it aims to achieve typological adequacy: proposals for any one language are formulated in such a way that they are transferable, mutatis mutandis, to other language types. From 1978 until his untimely death in 1995, Simon C. Dik - together with many associates throughout the world - produced a large body of work in the framework of Functional Grammar. Since 1985 the FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR SERIES (FGS) has been the major locus for book-length work in the theory and its applications. As the theory has continued to grow, the FGS remains the principal forum for the presentation and discussion of new developments in Functional Grammar as well as of various applications of the theory in language typology, language description and computational modelling.