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eBook
Possibility and necessity : concepts and expressions of modality
Albrespit, Jean; Lacassain, Christelle; Simpson, Tracey
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 590 Pages
Researchers in the fields of logic, philosophy and linguistics have for many years been pondering over the elusive nature of modality and grappled with ways of capturing it. This book provides a broad overview of issues relevant to the study of modality and reflects the diversity of theoretical frameworks and the heterogeneity of linguistic phenomena included under the general heading of modality, a concept which, in one of its most frequent definitions, corresponds to the fields of possibility and necessity. The key concepts dealt with are the structure of the semantic notion of modality and of modal subcategories, force dynamics, evidentiality, mirativity, modal auxiliaries and verbs, modal uses of verbs and constructions (hedged performatives, capacitive structures, conditional constructions) and modal polyfunctionality across languages. Articles deal with observations taken from a variety of languages, including Danish, English, French, Italian, Latin and Slovak. The wealth of data and the critical evaluation of existing analyses of modality will be of interest for researchers and graduate students alike.
Albrespit, Jean; Lacassain, Christelle; Simpson, Tracey
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 590 Pages
Researchers in the fields of logic, philosophy and linguistics have for many years been pondering over the elusive nature of modality and grappled with ways of capturing it. This book provides a broad overview of issues relevant to the study of modality and reflects the diversity of theoretical frameworks and the heterogeneity of linguistic phenomena included under the general heading of modality, a concept which, in one of its most frequent definitions, corresponds to the fields of possibility and necessity. The key concepts dealt with are the structure of the semantic notion of modality and of modal subcategories, force dynamics, evidentiality, mirativity, modal auxiliaries and verbs, modal uses of verbs and constructions (hedged performatives, capacitive structures, conditional constructions) and modal polyfunctionality across languages. Articles deal with observations taken from a variety of languages, including Danish, English, French, Italian, Latin and Slovak. The wealth of data and the critical evaluation of existing analyses of modality will be of interest for researchers and graduate students alike.
eBook
What makes a figure : rethinking figurativity
Colston, Herbert L.
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 539 Pages
This volume presents works seeking to re-think the very nature and scope of figurativity, calling into attention some of the received tenets in accounts of figurativity, both as a holistic category and for individual types and families of figures, but also attempting to expand upon the current scope of figurative theorizing. The works presented here investigate a wider array of figures than the typically-studied tropes of metaphor, irony, and metonymy, and they address broad issues such as figurativity writ large (what figurativity actually is and does, including how embodied it is), multimodality, contiguity of figurative forms, and furthering our consideration of the ingredients of irony. It should appeal to any scholar interested in figurativity in all its expansive guises.
Colston, Herbert L.
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 539 Pages
This volume presents works seeking to re-think the very nature and scope of figurativity, calling into attention some of the received tenets in accounts of figurativity, both as a holistic category and for individual types and families of figures, but also attempting to expand upon the current scope of figurative theorizing. The works presented here investigate a wider array of figures than the typically-studied tropes of metaphor, irony, and metonymy, and they address broad issues such as figurativity writ large (what figurativity actually is and does, including how embodied it is), multimodality, contiguity of figurative forms, and furthering our consideration of the ingredients of irony. It should appeal to any scholar interested in figurativity in all its expansive guises.
eBook
The making of multi-unit turns : a spring-loaded door
Gardner, Rod; Blythe, Joe; Mushin, Ilana; Stirling, Lesley; Dahmen, Josua; Caroline de Dear; Possemato, Francesco; Thompson, Sandra A. (Series Editor); Couper-Kuhlen, Elizabeth (Series Editor)
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 400 Pages
The Making of Multi-Unit Turns is the first book-length treatment to comprehensively describe extended turns produced by a single speaker. It draws on multiparty everyday conversations in English, using the methods of Conversation Analysis. It brings together the currently scattered literature on MUTs, and goes on to expand our understanding of the ‘natural history’ of MUTs by showing how speakers and recipients deploy linguistic and embodied behaviours in intricate ways, from the launch of an extended turn of talk to beyond the end of the MUT. The chapters report on the diverse ways in which speakers secure a second turn-constructional unit, and show how grammatical, prosodic, gestural, and postural resources, as well as gaze direction, are deployed to extend the speaker’s floor in a long MUT. Further investigating how speakers and their recipients transition out of the MUT and return to turn-by-turn talk, and how recipients sometimes disrupt an extended MUT, this book aims to provide a fresh understanding of the orderliness which underlies our everyday interactions.
Gardner, Rod; Blythe, Joe; Mushin, Ilana; Stirling, Lesley; Dahmen, Josua; Caroline de Dear; Possemato, Francesco; Thompson, Sandra A. (Series Editor); Couper-Kuhlen, Elizabeth (Series Editor)
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 400 Pages
The Making of Multi-Unit Turns is the first book-length treatment to comprehensively describe extended turns produced by a single speaker. It draws on multiparty everyday conversations in English, using the methods of Conversation Analysis. It brings together the currently scattered literature on MUTs, and goes on to expand our understanding of the ‘natural history’ of MUTs by showing how speakers and recipients deploy linguistic and embodied behaviours in intricate ways, from the launch of an extended turn of talk to beyond the end of the MUT. The chapters report on the diverse ways in which speakers secure a second turn-constructional unit, and show how grammatical, prosodic, gestural, and postural resources, as well as gaze direction, are deployed to extend the speaker’s floor in a long MUT. Further investigating how speakers and their recipients transition out of the MUT and return to turn-by-turn talk, and how recipients sometimes disrupt an extended MUT, this book aims to provide a fresh understanding of the orderliness which underlies our everyday interactions.
eBook
Variation in language acquisition : unity in diversity
Rosseel, Laura; Zenner, Eline
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 390 Pages
This volume, resulting from the fifth edition of the conference series Variation in Language Acquisition (ViLA), brings together research at the intersection of language acquisition and sociolinguistics. Work within the ViLA tradition explores how learners—from preschoolers to adult second-language users— produce, perceive, and evaluate socially meaningful language variation. Divided in two main parts, the contributions to this volume highlight a rich diversity of linguistic settings, methodological approaches, and learner profiles. Where Part I focuses on the acquisition of variation in children from age three to adolescence, Part II shifts the focus to the role of linguistic input and exposure in the acquisition process. Both parts showcase a broad methodological spectrum, from observational and experimental studies to qualitative and mixed-methods research. By deepening our understanding of the interplay between social context and linguistic development, the chapters in this volume both consolidate and inspire the growing research field of developmental sociolinguistics.
Rosseel, Laura; Zenner, Eline
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 390 Pages
This volume, resulting from the fifth edition of the conference series Variation in Language Acquisition (ViLA), brings together research at the intersection of language acquisition and sociolinguistics. Work within the ViLA tradition explores how learners—from preschoolers to adult second-language users— produce, perceive, and evaluate socially meaningful language variation. Divided in two main parts, the contributions to this volume highlight a rich diversity of linguistic settings, methodological approaches, and learner profiles. Where Part I focuses on the acquisition of variation in children from age three to adolescence, Part II shifts the focus to the role of linguistic input and exposure in the acquisition process. Both parts showcase a broad methodological spectrum, from observational and experimental studies to qualitative and mixed-methods research. By deepening our understanding of the interplay between social context and linguistic development, the chapters in this volume both consolidate and inspire the growing research field of developmental sociolinguistics.
eBook
Constructions in contact 3 : constructional schemas and patterns in language contact
Boas, Hans C.; Höder, Steffen
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 528 Pages
Over the last decade, Construction Grammar has become increasingly popular in the study of language contact and multilingualism. Indeed, constructional approaches, including Diasystematic Construction Grammar, not only offer a useful theoretical framework for empirical studies, but also provide a fresh look at fundamental questions in contact linguistics. This volume continues the series of works on Constructions in Contact (the first two volumes were published in 2018 and 2021). It presents new research on the constructionist modelling of language contact phenomena, the impact of multilingualism on argument structure constructions and the role of phonological units in language contact. The volume thus combines classical areas of constructional research with innovative ones, demonstrating the broad applicability of Construction Grammar for contact linguistics.
Boas, Hans C.; Höder, Steffen
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 528 Pages
Over the last decade, Construction Grammar has become increasingly popular in the study of language contact and multilingualism. Indeed, constructional approaches, including Diasystematic Construction Grammar, not only offer a useful theoretical framework for empirical studies, but also provide a fresh look at fundamental questions in contact linguistics. This volume continues the series of works on Constructions in Contact (the first two volumes were published in 2018 and 2021). It presents new research on the constructionist modelling of language contact phenomena, the impact of multilingualism on argument structure constructions and the role of phonological units in language contact. The volume thus combines classical areas of constructional research with innovative ones, demonstrating the broad applicability of Construction Grammar for contact linguistics.
eBook
Footprints of phrase structure : studies in syntax in honour of Tim Stowell
Arche, María J.; Zwart, Jan-Wouter; Demirdache, Hamida; Borer, Hagit
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 610 Pages
This volume presents a collection of state-of-the-art studies that illustrate recent advances in the understanding of human language, grammar design and linguistic categories. The title of the volume aims at highlighting the mark that the work of Tim Stowell has had on the field of Linguistics since his dissertation, Origins of Phrase Structure, defended at the MIT in 1981. Stowell’s work established the principles that replaced individual phrase structure rules from previous generative models with general universal constraints, setting off the articulation of formal grammars on a new journey. The papers gathered here demonstrate how that principled approach runs in the field today. The empirical evidence discussed in the papers comes from 15 different languages, which makes the volume a point of reference for cross-linguistic analyses and testimony to the wealth of descriptive knowledge brought to the scientific community.
A wide array of linguistic generations contributed to this volume, ranging from legendary ones who established the field as we’ve known it, to some who have only recently received their doctorates. This plainly demonstrates the time spanning impact of Stowell’s work and the deep footprint he has left in the field and in our lives.
Arche, María J.; Zwart, Jan-Wouter; Demirdache, Hamida; Borer, Hagit
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 610 Pages
This volume presents a collection of state-of-the-art studies that illustrate recent advances in the understanding of human language, grammar design and linguistic categories. The title of the volume aims at highlighting the mark that the work of Tim Stowell has had on the field of Linguistics since his dissertation, Origins of Phrase Structure, defended at the MIT in 1981. Stowell’s work established the principles that replaced individual phrase structure rules from previous generative models with general universal constraints, setting off the articulation of formal grammars on a new journey. The papers gathered here demonstrate how that principled approach runs in the field today. The empirical evidence discussed in the papers comes from 15 different languages, which makes the volume a point of reference for cross-linguistic analyses and testimony to the wealth of descriptive knowledge brought to the scientific community.
A wide array of linguistic generations contributed to this volume, ranging from legendary ones who established the field as we’ve known it, to some who have only recently received their doctorates. This plainly demonstrates the time spanning impact of Stowell’s work and the deep footprint he has left in the field and in our lives.
eBook
COVID-19 : metaphor and metonymy across languages and cultures
Wen, Xu; Lu, Wei-lun; Lennon, Joe; Kövecses, Zoltán
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 549 Pages
The COVID-19 pandemic set off a maelstrom of social, cultural, and political changes—as well as some surprising linguistic ones. This volume explores these dramatic changes through the lens of Cognitive Linguistics, analysing noteworthy examples of pandemic discourse to reveal correspondences and contrasts between different cultures’ conceptions of the illness and its aftermath. The contributions examine a variety of genres, including newspaper articles, storefront signs, artistic creations, personal interviews, social media comments, and political speeches. They look at communication in various domains—business, media, politics, economics, art, and psychiatry. And they compare past and present, showing how the modern pandemic both continued and interrupted previous patterns of discourse around illness and disease. These diverse analyses show how Cognitive Linguistics, on the cutting edge of quantitative, sociocultural, and interdisciplinary turns in linguistics, can be a powerful theoretical tool in uncovering parallels and variations in how different cultures communicate in times of crisis.
Wen, Xu; Lu, Wei-lun; Lennon, Joe; Kövecses, Zoltán
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 549 Pages
The COVID-19 pandemic set off a maelstrom of social, cultural, and political changes—as well as some surprising linguistic ones. This volume explores these dramatic changes through the lens of Cognitive Linguistics, analysing noteworthy examples of pandemic discourse to reveal correspondences and contrasts between different cultures’ conceptions of the illness and its aftermath. The contributions examine a variety of genres, including newspaper articles, storefront signs, artistic creations, personal interviews, social media comments, and political speeches. They look at communication in various domains—business, media, politics, economics, art, and psychiatry. And they compare past and present, showing how the modern pandemic both continued and interrupted previous patterns of discourse around illness and disease. These diverse analyses show how Cognitive Linguistics, on the cutting edge of quantitative, sociocultural, and interdisciplinary turns in linguistics, can be a powerful theoretical tool in uncovering parallels and variations in how different cultures communicate in times of crisis.
eBook
Technology and instructed second language acquisition : connecting research and pedagogy
Loewen, Shawn; Poole, Frederick J.; Hwang, Hyun-Bin; Coss, Matthew D.
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 629 Pages
This book brings together a team of leading international scholars to explore the rich inter-section of technology and second language (L2) learning and teaching. This innovative volume offers a unique blend of cutting-edge empirical research, pedagogy-informed perspectives, and practical applications for educators, administrators, and researchers alike. From digital games, interactive fiction, and chatbots, to multimedia input, online collaboration, and vocabulary tools, each chapter shows how technology can foster more effective, equitable, and purposeful L2 learning. Importantly, the contributors avoid framing technology as a collection of isolated tools; instead, they view technology as a set of adaptable resources for designing rich, multimodal, and socially-informed instructional practices. This forward-thinking, comprehensive volume aims to empower L2 educators and researchers to leverage technology’s full potential in a way that resonates with pedagogy, context, and the growing need for justice, equity, and inclusion in L2 education; thereby preparing them to successfully navigate the ever-increasing array of technology for L2 teaching and learning.
Loewen, Shawn; Poole, Frederick J.; Hwang, Hyun-Bin; Coss, Matthew D.
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 629 Pages
This book brings together a team of leading international scholars to explore the rich inter-section of technology and second language (L2) learning and teaching. This innovative volume offers a unique blend of cutting-edge empirical research, pedagogy-informed perspectives, and practical applications for educators, administrators, and researchers alike. From digital games, interactive fiction, and chatbots, to multimedia input, online collaboration, and vocabulary tools, each chapter shows how technology can foster more effective, equitable, and purposeful L2 learning. Importantly, the contributors avoid framing technology as a collection of isolated tools; instead, they view technology as a set of adaptable resources for designing rich, multimodal, and socially-informed instructional practices. This forward-thinking, comprehensive volume aims to empower L2 educators and researchers to leverage technology’s full potential in a way that resonates with pedagogy, context, and the growing need for justice, equity, and inclusion in L2 education; thereby preparing them to successfully navigate the ever-increasing array of technology for L2 teaching and learning.
eBook
Mathematical modelling in linguistics and text analysis : theory and applications
Pawłowski, Adam; Embleton, Sheila; Mačutek, Jan; Xanthos, Aris
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 399 Pages
This book is a panorama of contemporary quantitative linguistics, as developed over decades. It highlights the main topics of QL: statistical laws of language, taxonomy of linguistic phenomena, authorial attribution, quantitative analysis of syntax (e.g., dependency grammar), measurement of text difficulty, and other phenomena at the intersection of linguistics, literary studies, semiotics, and information science. It also reflects on the relevance of these time-honoured approaches in our new reality increasingly dominated by AI – both in terms of text material and methodology. Before our very eyes, computers are achieving human-level linguistic competence. The era of LLMs and the growing dominance of machine-generated text is becoming reality. The scale of these changes, initiated by the replacement of print with the digital universe, is enormous. Today, linguistics is closer than ever to mathematics and computer science, and thus quantitatively-oriented linguists are particularly well-suited to address questions about the boundary between humans and machines in scientific research.
Pawłowski, Adam; Embleton, Sheila; Mačutek, Jan; Xanthos, Aris
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 399 Pages
This book is a panorama of contemporary quantitative linguistics, as developed over decades. It highlights the main topics of QL: statistical laws of language, taxonomy of linguistic phenomena, authorial attribution, quantitative analysis of syntax (e.g., dependency grammar), measurement of text difficulty, and other phenomena at the intersection of linguistics, literary studies, semiotics, and information science. It also reflects on the relevance of these time-honoured approaches in our new reality increasingly dominated by AI – both in terms of text material and methodology. Before our very eyes, computers are achieving human-level linguistic competence. The era of LLMs and the growing dominance of machine-generated text is becoming reality. The scale of these changes, initiated by the replacement of print with the digital universe, is enormous. Today, linguistics is closer than ever to mathematics and computer science, and thus quantitatively-oriented linguists are particularly well-suited to address questions about the boundary between humans and machines in scientific research.
eBook
Handbook of terminology, volume 4: terminology planning in Europe
Resi, Rossella; Steurs, Frieda
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 1411 Pages
This book provides an overview of the various methods adopted for terminology planning in the languages under examination. Collectively, the authors attempt to establish an overall understanding of terminology planning in Europe, starting from an examination of the organizations engaged in terminology planning in different European linguistic contexts. Each chapter focuses on a specific language or language landscape, focusing on issues such as:
- the defining features of these terminology planning institutions, including their size, structure, funding sources, specialization, public recognition, publication methods, and collaborations with other organizations
- the responsibilities and operational procedures, for example as regards standardization, description, evaluation, quantification of results, dissemination, and terminometry
- terminology planning versus general language planning
- the historical development of these institutions and the future prospects for terminology planning in each language or language landscape.
The individual authors provide an independent overview of one language landscape. Overall, the book tells a fascinating story about how each language handles terminology as an essential linguistic factor in everyday society.
Resi, Rossella; Steurs, Frieda
John Benjamins Publishing Company
, 2025
; English
; 1411 Pages
This book provides an overview of the various methods adopted for terminology planning in the languages under examination. Collectively, the authors attempt to establish an overall understanding of terminology planning in Europe, starting from an examination of the organizations engaged in terminology planning in different European linguistic contexts. Each chapter focuses on a specific language or language landscape, focusing on issues such as:
- the defining features of these terminology planning institutions, including their size, structure, funding sources, specialization, public recognition, publication methods, and collaborations with other organizations
- the responsibilities and operational procedures, for example as regards standardization, description, evaluation, quantification of results, dissemination, and terminometry
- terminology planning versus general language planning
- the historical development of these institutions and the future prospects for terminology planning in each language or language landscape.
The individual authors provide an independent overview of one language landscape. Overall, the book tells a fascinating story about how each language handles terminology as an essential linguistic factor in everyday society.
