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From:
"Stahlke, Herbert" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 11 Jul 2014 15:43:44 +0000
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I'd like to take Craig's thoughts a step further.  As one who began his lin=
guistic life doing field work on languages he knew little about, I'm sensit=
ive to the influence a standard orthography has on our analyses.  Suppose y=
ou were doing field work on English with no orthography and little other in=
formation to rely on--or be misled by.  When you hear /aimn@go/ you would b=
y no stretch of the imagination connect that to "I am going to go."  Rather=
, you'd identify the first person singular subject pronoun, the /m/ perhaps=
 marking progressive aspect (although you'd properly have doubts about that=
 conclusion), and the /n@/ as some sort of future or intentional marker wor=
thy of considerably more research.  Maybe, after comparing a number of dial=
ects you might come up with a historical internal reconstruction that relat=
ed the form to "am going to," but that would have about as much bearing on =
your synchronic grammatical description as the equally historical discovery=
 that the -t of "height" and the -th of "width" are the same thing.


I fear sometimes that the extent to which our descriptions look like our or=
thography or our grammatical traditions, they are not evidence-based.  The =
fact is that the results of grammaticalization are frequently not recoverab=
le except by diligent study by trained grammarians; they remain opaque to n=
ormal native speakers.


Herb



Herbert F. W. Stahlke, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of English
Ball State University
Muncie, IN  47306
[log in to unmask]
________________________________
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar <[log in to unmask]
DU> on behalf of Hancock, Craig G <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, July 11, 2014 10:13 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Relevance of Syntax & Semantics: "I'm gonna write me some musi=
c about"

Bob,
    Phonetic reduction is a dynamic process directly related to frequency. =
Since =93going to=94 can now combine in auxiliary like ways with main verbs=
, its use has dramatically expanded. Frequency of use correlates well with =
phonetic reduction. It=92s an observation about how language shifts in form=
 as it takes on new (expanded) function. Want to has expanded range of use =
in the same way. The same patterns are at work in its reduction.The consens=
us seems to be that it has modal like qualities.
    Biologists make observations about form all the time without thinking o=
f life itself as a formal system. What we need, I think, is the equivalent =
of an anatomy and physiology. In the world of biology, the two are dynamica=
lly connected. No one would argue (scientifically) that biological forms ar=
e independent of function and no one would propose that forms are unimporta=
nt.
    In the biological world, it=92s hard to draw strict clear lines between=
 categories in part because adaptation is constant. Bybee=92s point=97and s=
he=92s not the only one making it=97is that language is more like biology t=
han it is like physics and chemistry. In some ways, this is a renewed inter=
est in empirical observation. This is certainly not a retreat from form.

Craig

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]
AMIOH.EDU] On Behalf Of Bob Yates
Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2014 6:16 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Relevance of Syntax & Semantics: "I'm gonna write me some musi=
c about"

I=92m confused by the following observation from Craig.



Sent from Windows Mail

From: Hancock, Craig G<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Sent: =FDThursday=FD, =FDJuly=FD =FD10=FD, =FD2014 =FD2=FD:=FD06=FD =FDPM
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>


As Bybee points out, the kind of phonetic reduction we get with 'gonna' and=
 oughtta' is typical of grammaticalization. We don't say "I'm gonna New Yor=
k" for "I'm going to New York," but we do say "I'm gonna take the train to =
New York" or "It's gonna rain." We only use it for expressions of intention=
 and prediction, which are modal in function. This would be a good formal a=
rgument for "going to" functioning as a constituent group when modal functi=
ons are carried out, but not for physical movement: going plus to New York.



Now, if I understand Craig correctly, language is not a formal system, yet =
he just made a formal distinction between =93going to=94 verb vs.=94 going =
to=94 location.  It seems to me that we are dealing with two different to=
=92s.  The to in =93going to=94 marks a verb and the to in making a locatio=
n is a preposition.



By the way, gonna reduction is also reflected in wanna.



Bob Yates, University of Central Missouri

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<p>I'd like to take Craig's thoughts a step further. &nbsp;As one who began=
 his linguistic life doing field work on languages he knew little about, I'=
m sensitive to the influence a standard orthography has on our analyses. &n=
bsp;Suppose you were doing field work on English
 with no orthography and little other information to rely on--or be misled =
by. &nbsp;When you hear /aimn@go/ you would by no stretch of the imaginatio=
n connect that to &quot;I am going to go.&quot; &nbsp;Rather, you'd identif=
y the first person singular subject pronoun, the /m/
 perhaps&nbsp;marking progressive aspect (although you'd properly have doub=
ts about that conclusion), and the /n@/ as some sort of future or intention=
al marker worthy of considerably more research. &nbsp;Maybe, after comparin=
g a number of dialects you might come up with
 a historical internal reconstruction that related the form to &quot;am goi=
ng to,&quot; but that would have about as much bearing on your synchronic g=
rammatical description as the equally historical discovery that the -t of &=
quot;height&quot; and the -th of &quot;width&quot; are the same
 thing. &nbsp;</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>I fear sometimes that the extent to which our descriptions look like our=
 orthography or our grammatical traditions, they are not evidence-based. &n=
bsp;The fact is that the results of grammaticalization are frequently not r=
ecoverable except by diligent study by
 trained grammarians; they remain opaque to normal native speakers.<br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>Herb&nbsp;<br>
</p>
<div>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<div class=3D"BodyFragment"><font size=3D"2">
<div class=3D"PlainText">Herbert F. W. Stahlke, Ph.D.<br>
Emeritus Professor of English<br>
Ball State University<br>
Muncie, IN&nbsp; 47306<br>
[log in to unmask]</div>
</font></div>
</div>
<div style=3D"color: rgb(33, 33, 33);">
<hr tabindex=3D"-1" style=3D"display:inline-block; width:98%">
<div id=3D"divRplyFwdMsg" dir=3D"ltr"><font face=3D"Calibri, sans-serif" co=
lor=3D"#000000" style=3D"font-size:11pt"><b>From:</b> Assembly for the Teac=
hing of English Grammar &lt;[log in to unmask]&gt; on behalf of Hanc=
ock, Craig G &lt;[log in to unmask]&gt;<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, July 11, 2014 10:13 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> [log in to unmask]<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: Relevance of Syntax &amp; Semantics: &quot;I'm gonna wr=
ite me some music about&quot;</font>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
</div>
<div>
<div class=3D"WordSection1">
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt; font-family:&quot;C=
alibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; color:#1F497D">Bob,</span></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt; font-family:&quot;C=
alibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; color:#1F497D">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Phon=
etic reduction is a dynamic process directly related to frequency. Since =
=93going to=94 can now combine in auxiliary like ways with main verbs, its =
use
 has dramatically expanded. Frequency of use correlates well with phonetic =
reduction. It=92s an observation about how language shifts in form as it ta=
kes on new (expanded) function.
<i>Want to</i> has expanded range of use in the same way. The same patterns=
 are at work in its reduction.The consensus seems to be that it has modal l=
ike qualities.</span></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt; font-family:&quot;C=
alibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; color:#1F497D">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Biol=
ogists make observations about form all the time without thinking of life i=
tself as a formal system. What we need, I think, is the equivalent of an
 anatomy and physiology. In the world of biology, the two are dynamically c=
onnected. No one would argue (scientifically) that biological forms are ind=
ependent of function and no one would propose that forms are unimportant.
</span></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt; font-family:&quot;C=
alibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; color:#1F497D">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;In the biological world, it=92s hard to draw strict clear lines between ca=
tegories in part because adaptation is constant. Bybee=92s point=97and she=
=92s not the
 only one making it=97is that language is more like biology than it is like=
 physics and chemistry. In some ways, this is a renewed interest in empiric=
al observation. This is certainly not a retreat from form.
</span></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt; font-family:&quot;C=
alibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; color:#1F497D">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt; font-family:&quot;C=
alibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; color:#1F497D">Craig</span></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt; font-family:&quot;C=
alibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; color:#1F497D">&nbsp;</span></p>
<div>
<div style=3D"border:none; border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt; padding:3.0pt 0i=
n 0in 0in">
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><b><span style=3D"font-size:10.0pt; font-family:&quo=
t;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">From:</span></b><span style=3D"font-=
size:10.0pt; font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;"> Assemb=
ly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Bob Yates<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, July 10, 2014 6:16 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> [log in to unmask]<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: Relevance of Syntax &amp; Semantics: &quot;I'm gonna wr=
ite me some music about&quot;</span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<div>
<div>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot=
;sans-serif&quot;">I=92m confused by the following observation from Craig.<=
/span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot=
;sans-serif&quot;">&nbsp;</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot=
;sans-serif&quot;">&nbsp;</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot=
;sans-serif&quot;">&nbsp;</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot=
;sans-serif&quot;">Sent from Windows Mail</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot=
;sans-serif&quot;">&nbsp;</span></p>
</div>
</div>
<div style=3D"border:none; border-top:solid #E5E5E5 1.0pt; padding:4.0pt 0i=
n 0in 0in">
<div>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><b><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&q=
uot;sans-serif&quot;; letter-spacing:.25pt">From:</span></b><span style=3D"=
font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; letter-spacing:.25p=
t">&nbsp;<a href=3D"mailto:[log in to unmask]" target=3D"_parent">Hancock,=
 Craig G</a><br>
<b>Sent:</b>&nbsp;=FDThursday=FD, =FDJuly=FD =FD10=FD, =FD2014 =FD2=FD:=FD0=
6=FD =FDPM<br>
<b>To:</b>&nbsp;<a href=3D"mailto:[log in to unmask]" target=3D"_par=
ent">[log in to unmask]</a></span><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;C=
alibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;"></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot=
;sans-serif&quot;">&nbsp;</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<div id=3D"OWAFontStyleDivID">
<p style=3D"background:white"><em><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Calibri&=
quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; color:black">As Bybee points out, t</span></e=
m><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; co=
lor:black">he kind of phonetic reduction we get with 'gonna' and oughtta' i=
s typical
 of grammaticalization. We don't say &quot;I'm gonna New York&quot; for &qu=
ot;I'm going to New York,&quot; but we do say &quot;I'm gonna take the trai=
n to New York&quot; or &quot;It's gonna rain.&quot; We only use it for expr=
essions of intention and prediction, which are modal in function. This woul=
d
 be a good formal argument for &quot;going to&quot; functioning as a consti=
tuent group when modal functions are carried out, but not for physical move=
ment:
<em><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">=
going</span></em> plus <em><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&=
quot;sans-serif&quot;">to New York</span></em>.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style=3D"background:white"><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot=
;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; color:black">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style=3D"background:white"><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot=
;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; color:black">Now, if I understand Craig correctly=
, language is not a formal system, yet he just made a formal distinction be=
tween&nbsp;=93going to=94 verb vs.=94 going to=94 location.&nbsp; It seems
 to me that we are dealing with two different to=92s.&nbsp; The to in&nbsp;=
=93going to=94 marks a&nbsp;verb and the&nbsp;to in making a location is a&=
nbsp;preposition.&nbsp;
</span></p>
<p style=3D"background:white"><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot=
;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; color:black">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style=3D"background:white"><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot=
;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; color:black">By the way,&nbsp;gonna reduction is =
also reflected in wanna.&nbsp;
</span></p>
<p style=3D"background:white"><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot=
;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; color:black">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style=3D"background:white"><span style=3D"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot=
;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; color:black">Bob Yates, University of Central Mis=
souri&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

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