Classical Grammar

Outline of Classical Chinese Grammar is a comprehensive introduction to the syntactical analysis of classical Chinese. Focusing on the language of the high classical period, which ranges from the time of Confucius to the unification of the empire by Qin in 221, the book pays particular attention to the Mencius, the L�nyu, and, to a lesser extent, the Zu�zhu�n texts. Outline of Classical Chinese Grammar starts with a brief historical overview and a discussion of the relation between the writing system and the phonology. This is followed by an outline of overall principles of word order and sentence structure. The next sections deal with the main sentence types � nominal predicates, verbal predicates, and numberical expressions, which constitute a special type of quasiverbal predication. The final sections cover such topics as subordinate constitutents of sentences, nondeclarative sentence types, and complex sentences.

While China has a long tradition of lexicography and of phonological studies, unlike Europe and Indian it has no tradition of descriptive or prescriptive grammar. Outline of Classical Chinese Grammar fills that gap and is the first comprehensive introduction to syntactical analysis of Classical Chinese. Focusing on the language of the high classical period, which ranges from the time of Confucius to the unification of the empire by Qin in -221, the books pays particular attention to the Mencius, the Lunyu, and, to a lesser extent, the Zuozhuan texts. Renowed for his work in Classical Chinese, Edwin Pulleyblank opens the book with a brief historical overview and a discussion of the relationship between the writing system and the phonology. An outline of the overall principles of word order and sentence structure follows. He then deals with the main sentence types: nominal predicates, verbal predicates, and numerical expressions, which constitute a special type of quasiverbal predication. The final section covers topics such as subordinate constituents of sentences, non-declarative sentence types, and complex sentences. Clear and well organized, Outline of Classical Chinese Grammar is an authoritative study and will be an invaluable resource tool for anyone involved in Chinese language studies.

Classical Japanese: A Grammar is a comprehensive, and practical guide to classical Japanese. Extensive notes and historical explanations make this volume useful as both a reference for advanced students and a textbook for beginning students. The volume, which explains how classical Japanese is related to modern Japanese, includes detailed explanations of basic grammar, including helpful, easy-to-use tables of grammatical forms; annotated excerpts from classical premodern texts. Classical Japanese: A Grammar - Exercise Answers and Tables (ISBN: 978-0-231-13530-6) is now available for purchase as a separate volume.

This is the first full-scale reference grammar of Classical Greek in English in a century. The first work of its kind to reflect significant advances in linguistics made in recent decades, it provides students, teachers and academics with a comprehensive yet user-friendly treatment. The chapters on phonology and morphology make full use of insights from comparative and historical linguistics to elucidate complex systems of roots, stems and endings. The syntax offers linguistically up-to-date descriptions of such topics as case usage, tense and aspect, voice, subordinate clauses, infinitives and participles. An innovative section on textual coherence treats particles and word order and discusses several sample passages in detail, demonstrating new ways of approaching Greek texts. Throughout the book numerous original examples are provided, all with translations and often with clarifying notes. Clearly laid-out tables, helpful cross-references and full indexes make this essential resource accessible to users of all levels.

Non-Aboriginal material.

Upon its publication in 2002, Josef Tropper’s Altäthiopisch: Grammatik des Gəˁəz mit Übungstexten und Glossar was quickly recognized as the best modern grammar of Classical Ethiopic in any language. Now Eisenbrauns makes Tropper’s grammar available for the first time in English, in this revised and expanded edition by Josef Tropper and Rebecca Hasselbach-Andee. Gəˁəz literature is diverse and of major importance for the study of early Christianity, Judaism, and the history of eastern Africa. The language of this rich literature, however, has been difficult to access until now. Designed to help language learners acquire competency with the script from the start, Classical Ethiopic provides a comprehensive treatment of Gəˁəz grammar, with detailed chapters on the language’s writing system, phonology, morphology, morphosyntax, and syntax. Numerous example sentences illustrate the grammatical concepts discussed, and each example is presented in Ethiopic script, transliteration, and English translation. The grammar concludes with an appendix presenting sample texts to be used as exercises, an English-Gəˁəz glossary, and an updated bibliography that takes into account the developments that have occurred in the study of Gəˁəz in the nearly two decades since Tropper’s original publication. Appropriate for the classroom and for independent study, Classical Ethiopic is sure to become the standard reference in English for the study of the language.