Construction grammar analyzes grammatical constructions as a whole, viewing form and meaning as inseparable. It developed as a reaction to generative grammar and argues that children learn grammar rules from their environment. Construction grammars consider the syntax-lexical continuum and the concept of Frame Semantics. Many specific construction grammars have developed since its inception.
The term construction grammar refers to several related grammatical theories that view form and meaning as inseparable. Instead of having several theories regarding various aspects of a language, these theories analyze grammatical constructions as a whole, whether full sentences or small sentences. Semantics, syntax and pragmatics are all considered parts of construction grammar.
In 1977, George Lakoff published “Linguistic Gestalts,” a reaction to generative grammar, a theory begun by Noam Chomsky in the 1950s. Generative grammar argues that every child is born with the knowledge of a universal grammar that can be applied to any natural language. Furthermore, this theory holds that anyone can learn to make a correct sentence in any situation just by imagining the rules.
Construction grammars developed from the opposite belief: that children learn grammar rules from their environment. Furthermore, they claim that some apparently correct constructions do not follow set rules, such as the phrases “there-constructions” and “let alone” in English. Linguists such as Lakoff, Charles Fillmore and Paul Kay developed the first theories of construction grammar in the early 1980s to address these difficulties.
According to construction grammar, form and meaning are simply opposite ends of a spectrum, called the syntax-lexical continuum. Syntax refers to the meaning created by how words are ordered and combined to create a construction, while lexicon refers to the meanings of the words themselves. In other words, because words and the way they are put together are so closely related, no one can study one without studying the other.
Construction grammars consider the idea of constructive polysemy false; instead they argue that each construction has a different meaning, even if the same words are used. For example, in this theory the active sentence, “John throws the ball,” has a different meaning than the passive sentence, “The ball is thrown by John.”
The concept of Frame Semantics is generally assumed by all construction grammars. Frame Semantics is the linguistic theory that no word can be understood without a full understanding of its context. This context is known as a semantic frame. For example, the word “school” cannot be understood without knowledge of words such as student, teacher, learning or subject.
Many specific construction grammars have developed since Lakoff’s findings were published. Goldbergian or Lakovian Construction Grammar is based on the studies of Adele Goldberg and Lakoff. Belgian scientist Luc Steels developed Fluid Construction Grammar for use with artificial intelligence. Other theories include radical construction grammar, embodied construction grammar, and cognitive grammar.
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