The Parameter in Generative Grammar

A History of a Concept

Alessandro Riolfi (Università degli Studi di Verona)

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English

Cambridge University Press
24 April 2025

Historical & comparative linguistics; Grammar, syntax

Focusing on the development of Noam Chomsky's linguistic framework, this book is the first full-length, in-depth treatment of the history of the concept of parameter, a central notion of syntactic theory. Spanning 60 years of syntactic theory, it explores all aspects of its development through the different phases of the Chomskyan school, from the 'standard theory' of the mid-1960 to the current Minimalist Program. Emphasis is put on three main topics: the foundational issues in the formulation of the Principles and Parameters model; the original formulation of the “classical” parameters of the Government-Binding Theory of the 1980s (which are then evaluated from the perspective of Chomskyan thought today), and current debates on the nature of parametric variation in light of Generative Grammar's most recent theoretical developments. Through step-by-step, detailed explanations, it provides the reader with a comprehensive account of both parametric theory and the development of Generative Grammar.

By: Alessandro Riolfi (Università degli Studi di Verona)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781316516966
ISBN 10: 1316516962
Pages: 348
Publication Date: 24 April 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction; 1. The birth of the concept of parameter in Generative Grammar and its development until Lectures on Government and Binding; 2. The formulation of the main parameters of the Government-Binding Theory; 3. The development of the concept of parameter in Minimalism; 4. The main parameters of the GB Theory in current generative theory; 5. The head-complement parameter; 6. Some concluding remarks on parameterization.

Alessandro Riolfi is an independent scholar. He is currently a subject-matter expert at the department of Cultures and Civilizations of the University of Verona. His main research interests are the history of linguistics and Generative Grammar.