论语法

Binary Oppositions in Grammatical Theory

1.0 什么是语法? 语法是制约句子里词与词的关系的规则。一种语言的语法是该语言里这些制约规则的总和,它使词在规则的制约下组成为语言社团所接受的句子。 1.1

This paper attempts a fresh presentation of grammar at a theoretical level. It is addressed tothree questions: (1) What is grammar ? (2) Where is grammar to be found? and (3) What are thedifferent foci of emphasis in grammatical writings?(1) Grammar is a built-in feature of language, which governs the formation of discrete entities intosequences. The rules of such formation constitute the grammar of a language, and language,operating onrules, generates an infinite number of sentences. Language without rules is not language but a conglomera-tion of sounds. There can be no language but with a grammar.(2) To the popular notion that grammar exists in a grammar book the author advances this argument:No one can reasonably suppose that a book of grammar however comprehensive can contain all the grammarrules which language behaviour operates on. This would involve an infinity of variables which nothing shortof the human brain can possibly cope with. A child learns to speak very quickly, but the most potentcomputer does so slowly and artificially. Grammar then is a psychological phenomenon which exists in theconscience of the community which speaks it. Only a pedant will say that some languages have nogrammar.(3)The different foci of emphasis resolve themselves into sets of binary oppositions:The taxonomic versus rationalistThe diachronic versus synchronicThe prescriptive versus descriptiveThe linguistic versus pedagogicThe universal versus particularEach opposition is discussed at some length exemplified by one established work for each of the twoparties making the binary.