Re: X-Bar Theory

In a message dated 07/24/02 12:34:30 PM, AL260@AOL.COM writes:

<< X-Bar is pretty easy: >>

    HA, HA, HA!!!  Oh, that gave me a chuckle.  Of course, there is truth to
it: X-Bar *is* easy to understand, and it lays things out very clearly so
there can be no confusion.  To use, though...  Friends of mine who took the
recent syntax class showed me some of their X-Bar diagrams of sentences which
caused them to tape two pieces of paper together just to fit it all in.  From
what I've seen, it seems highly impractical, and doesn't seem to fit every
language.  Nevertheless, I can recommend a book on it.  Uh...that is, if I
can find it...  Shoot; I spoke too soon!  My general linguistics book
Contemporary Linguistics (fourth edition, ISBN 0-312-24738-9) goes into it,
but not in as much detail as this book which is simply called Syntax.  It's a
part of a series.  I also have Morphology and Phonology.  I have a feeling
they're all by the same author, but I'm not sure.  They're all smaller than a
normal text book, and they have a kind of pattern on them where the back and
spine are black, and the front has a black-and-white kind of checker pattern,
or maybe it's diagonal lines...  I'll look for it.  My friend says there's a
red book, too.  (Very vague, I know.)  I'll see about it.

-David

"fawiT, Gug&g, tSagZil-a-Gariz, wAj min DidZejsat wazid..."
"Soft, driven, slow and mad, like some new language..."
                    -Jim Morrison

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