예스퍼슨의 Analytic Syntax: 생성문법과의 비교분석

A Review of Otto Jespersen's Analytic Syntax: In Comparison with Generative Grammar

A This paper is a review of Jespersen's (1937) Analytic Syntax (AS, henceforth) in comparison with Generative Grammar. Although the work was criticized and ultimately neglected by most of the contemporary (mainly structural) linguists, it rose above the limitations of structuralism. Jespersen's views on syntactic structures are quite similar to those of (the early model of) Generative Grammar. AS has formal devices to express and explain such grammatical concepts and constructions, highly valued and sincerely delved into in the Generative Grammar circle, as latent elements (empty categories), (co)referentiality, discontinuous constituents(traces), easy-type adjectives, syntactic features, raising, nominalization, possibility of transformations, etc. AS is not widely read and studied these days. Then, is it one of the dead exhibitions in the academic museum, just showing the glory of the past? This article tries to say "No"., by pointing out that the work is still a masterpiece having a great value for the study of English and for its possible suggestions for the exploration of a new syntactic theory after or along with Generative Grammar. Recent syntactic theories, represented by Generative Grammar, are too abstract and too focussed on the theory-internal arguments to give deep insights for "actual" languages, showing that human languages cannot be properly explained only in terms of structure or form. AS suggests the possibility of a new syntactic theory considering form and function together in a balanced way, respecting actually-used examples. In that sense, AS should be on the textbook list that any student of syntax must read.