Case Grammar Theory

By analyzing seven concrete models, the author examines each in regard to its logical structure, list of cases, derivational system, and use of covert case roles.

Originally published in 1977, On Case Grammar, represents a synthesis of various lines of research, with special regard to the treatment of grammatical relations. Arguments are assessed for and against case grammar, localism, lexical decomposition and relational grammar. The book surveys the important evidence to support the validity of the choice of a case grammar as the most satisfactory of current accounts of the notion of grammatical relations. This evidence is derived from a detailed examination of various processes in English and from a typological comparison of other languages, notably Dyirbal and Basque. The book also looks at the establishment of principled limitation on the set of case relations. Lexical, syntactical, semantic and morphological evidence suggests that the set of cases is in conformity with the predictions of a strong form of the localist hypothesis, which requires that case relations be distinguished in terms of source vs. goal vs. location.

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 1, 7, University of Heidelberg (Anglistik), course: PS 1: Perspectives on Language, language: English, abstract: The world-famous grammarian Charles J. Fillmore is emeritus professor of linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley. First and foremost he became known for his works on semantics and syntax. One of his well-known works is The Case for Case, published in the year 1968, in which he introduces the case grammar theory. Fillmore himself modified this paper several times, inter alia in a publication in the year 1971, and many other linguists since then have worked on his approach. The case grammar has gone through many changes until today, however this assignment concentrates on the original 1968-paper, the basic work concerning the case grammar theory. Below the main aspects of Fillmore's approach are introduced and explained.

An unusually clear, simple guide for sentence analysis which lends itself well to displaying the way syntactic features are associated with semantic structures.

There are few linguistic phenomena that have seduced linguists so skillfully as grammatical case has done. Ever since Panini (4th Century BC), case has claimed a central role in linguistic theory and continues to do so today. However, despite centuries worth of research, case has yet to reveal its most important secrets. This book offers breakthrough explanations for the understanding of case through agent-based experiments in cultural language evolution. The experiments demonstrate that case systems may emerge because they have a selective advantage for communication: they reduce the cognitive effort that listeners need for semantic interpretation, while at the same time limiting the cognitive resources required for doing so.