This volume explores how human languages become what they are, why they differ from one another in certain ways but not in others, and why they change in the ways that they do. Given that language is a universal creation of the human mind, the puzzle is why there are different languages at all: why do we not all speak the same language? Moreover, while there is considerable variation, in some ways grammars do show consistent patterns: why are languages similar in those respects, and why are those particular patterns preferred? Peter Culicover proposes that the solution to these puzzles is a constructional one. Grammars consist of constructions that carry out the function of expressing universal conceptual structure. While there are in principle many different ways of accomplishing this task, languages are under press to reduce constructional complexity. The result is that there is constructional change in the direction of less complexity, and grammatical patterns emerge that more efficiently reflect conceptual universals. The volume is divided into three parts: the first establishes the theoretical foundations; the second explores variation in argument structure, grammatical functions, and A-bar constructions, drawing on data from a variety of languages including English and Plains Cree; and the third examines constructional change, focusing primarily on Germanic. The study ends with observations and speculations on parameter theory, analogy, the origins of typological patterns, and Greenbergian 'universals'.
Committed to Excellence in the Landmark Tenth Edition. This edition continues the evolution of Raven & Johnson’s Biology. The author team is committed to continually improving the text, keeping the student and learning foremost. We have integrated new pedagogical features to expand the students’ learning process and enhance their experience in the ebook. This latest edition of the text maintains the clear, accessible, and engaging writing style of past editions with the solid framework of pedagogy that highlights an emphasis on evolution and scientific inquiry that have made this a leading textbook for students majoring in biology and have been enhanced in this landmark Tenth edition. This emphasis on the organizing power of evolution is combined with an integration of the importance of cellular, molecular biology and genomics to offer our readers a text that is student friendly and current. Our author team is committed to producing the best possible text for both student and faculty. The lead author, Kenneth Mason, University of Iowa, has taught majors biology at three different major public universities for more than fifteen years. Jonathan Losos, Harvard University, is at the cutting edge of evolutionary biology research, and Susan Singer, Carleton College, has been involved in science education policy issues on a national level. All three authors bring varied instructional and content expertise to the tenth edition of Biology.
Reflecting a unique blend of style and scholarship, this student-friendly text is designed to help readers understand the relevance of sociology to their own lives. Clear, fast-paced, and lively writing helps make even complex concepts readable and interesting, while the presentation of social myths and realities in every chapter promotes truly critical thinking. This third edition is replete with new material, including a wide spectrum of today's global, multicultural, and gender issues as well as a new chapter on social interaction that covers both standard and unique subjects.
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