Mereological Syntax
$168.04
- Paperback
288 pages
- Release Date
16 December 2025
Summary
An argument for replacing Chomsky’s set-theoretic Merge view of syntax with a theory of syntax based on mereological objects.
Mereology is the study of parthood—what it means for one thing to be part of another. David Adger argues that a theory of syntax based on mereological objects should replace Chomsky’s set-theoretic Merge view of syntax. He shows how this new perspective solves some of the problems that have bedeviled minimalism, while opening a path to a unified approach to isl…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780262553278 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0262553279 |
| Author: | David Adger |
| Publisher: | MIT Press Ltd |
| Imprint: | MIT Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 288 |
| Release Date: | 16 December 2025 |
| Weight: | 369g |
| Dimensions: | 229mm x 152mm |
| Series: | Linguistic Inquiry Monographs |
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What They're Saying
Critics Review
ENDORSEMENTS
“In this highly original monograph, David Adger reanalyzes the core of human language, hierarchical structure: Subjoin is the organizing principle that builds mereological objects in a part-whole hierarchy. Adger applies his innovative approach to many classical domains of generative syntax, approaches old facts in new light, and explores novel data. Mereological Syntax will undoubtedly make a significant contribution to the field.”
—Kleanthes K. Grohmann, Professor of Biolinguistics and Director of the CAT Lab, University of Cyprus
“This combination of a very innovative and original (but also very simple) theoretical proposal with potentially overarching empirical consequences, and very sophisticated and precise explorations into the intricacies of very rich empirical domains on a vast number of languages, makes this book very readable and very entertaining.”
—Caterina Donati, Laboratoire de Linguistique Formelle; Professor, Paris Cité University; Director, UFR Linguistique
About The Author
David Adger
David Adger is Professor of Linguistics at Queen Mary University of London and a former president of the Linguistics Association of Great Britain. He is the author of Core Syntax, A Syntax of Substance (MIT Press), and Language Unlimited.
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