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Sign-Based Construction Grammar: A guided tour1

Review products

BoasHans C. & SagIvan A. (eds.), Sign-Based Construction Grammar. Stanford: CSLI Publications, 2012. Pp. xvi + 391.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 September 2015

FRANK VAN EYNDE*
Affiliation:
University of Leuven
*
Author’s address: Department of Linguistics, University of Leuven, Blijde Inkomststraat 21, 3000 Leuven, Belgiumfrank.vaneynde@ccl.kuleuven.be

Abstract

Sign-Based Construction Grammar (sbcg) is, on the one hand, a formalized version of Berkeley Construction Grammar (bcg), and, on the other hand, a further development of constructionist Head-driven Phrase Structure Grammar (hpsg). The volume edited by Hans Boas and Ivan Sag is the first book length presentation of the framework. Its centerpiece is a 130-page synopsis of the theory by Ivan Sag. The other contributions to the volume provide background, justification, case studies, an extension to diachronic syntax and a presentation of the FrameNet Constructicon. This review gives a guided tour of the framework, explaining its central notions and assumptions, as well as the notation in which they are cast. It also compares the sbcg framework with other types of Construction Grammar and with hpsg. The case studies are summarized and briefly evaluated.

Type
Review Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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