Hudson, Richard. forthcoming. Word grammar. Book Article. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Notes
"Language is a conceptual network." for instance lexicon is organized in this way as opposed to a dictionary-style list - no distinction between lexicon and other types of Generalizations.The descriptive network of Word Grammar is a graph containing nodes and lines.Networks are open, links can be entrenched, modularity (of Chomsky and Fodor is impossible). Re modularity: mentions distinction between dictionary and an encyclopedia."knowledge of language is entirely declarative (rather than procedural)" re. 1990 where he also tackles declarativeness"Language use involves activation of the network and even the creation of new nodes and links (i.e. learning). But the Network Postulate distinguishes this activity conceptually from the network to which it is applied. "Same rules are applied to phonology and syntax (all levels of linguistic description)Inheritance is essential, e.g. concept and superconcept:"The advantage of invoking default inheritance as an explanation of prototype effects is that it removes the need to assume that concepts are themselves fuzzy (Sweetser 1987). Rightly or wrongly, the structure of a Word Grammar network is crystal clear and fully 'digital' (except for degrees of entrenchment and activation). "Best-fit principle of classification"Classify any item of experience so as to maximise the amount of relevant inherited information and to minimise the number of exceptions."Nodes on network are classified: isa, wife, name, meaning (meanings are separate from words), subjectUses dependencies and valencesNodes are defined by their links no labels are necessaryNo distinction between lexicon and grammar: "There is no basis, therefore, for distinguishing the lexicon from the grammar in terms of levels of Generality, because Generality varies continuously throughout the hierarchy."Morphology is treated separately in contrast to Langacker who sees a continuum."In Word Grammar, then, the word is linked to its phonological realisation only via the morpheme, just as it is linked to the semantic structure only via the single concept that acts as its sense."Word grammar also includes sociological and other information since it does not distinguish between lexicon and encyclopedia.Word grammar can help account for learning, given that it uses a dependency rather than a constituent syntax. Given that 70% of words are dependent on the word next to them, this is very useful. (|How about German prefixes and such?)