Tense and Aspect in the Languages of Europe

by Östen Dahl (Editor)

Research on language universals and research on linguistic typology are not antagonistic, but rather complementary approaches to the same fundamental the relationship between the amazing diversity of languages and the profound unity of language. Only if the true extent of typological divergence is recognized can universal laws be formulated. In recent years it has become more and more evident that a broad range of languages of radically different types must be carefully analyzed before general theories are possible. Typological comparison of this kind is now at the centre of linguistic research. The series empirical approaches to language typology presents a platform for contributions of all kinds to this rapidly developing field. The distinctive feature of the series is its markedly empirical orientation. All conclusions to be reached are the result of a deepened study of empirical data. General problems are focused on from the perspective of individual languages, language families, language groups, or language samples. Special emphasis is given to the analysis of phenomena from little known languages, which shed new light on long-standing problems in general linguistics. The series is open to contributions from different theoretical persuasions. It thus reflects the methodological pluralism that characterizes the present situation. Care is taken that all volumes be accessible to every linguist and, moreover, to every reader specializing in some domain related to human language. A deeper understanding of human language in general, based on a detailed analysis of typological diversity among individual languages, is fundamental for many sciences, not only for linguists. Therefore, this series has proven to be indispensable in every research library, be it public or private, which has a specialization in language and the language sciences. To discuss your book idea or submit a proposal, please contact Birgit Sievert.

859 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Östen Dahl, Stockholm University
Östen Dahl is Emeritus Professor of General Linguistics at the University of Stockholm, Sweden. In recent years, his research has mainly been typologically oriented with a strong interest in diachronic approaches to grammar, in particular areas such as tense and aspect, negation, and definiteness marking. His publications include the monographs Tense and Aspect Systems (1985) and The growth and maintenance of linguistic complexity (2004) and the edited volumes Tense and Aspect in the Languages of Europe (2000) and The Circum-Baltic Languages: Typology and Contact (2 vols, 2002, co-edited with Maria Koptjevskaja Tamm). Together with Jens Allwood and Lars-Gunnar Andersson he published the textbook Logic in Linguistics (1977). He has also written several textbooks in Swedish.