Ingo Plag Livres

Providing an accessible introduction to the study of word-formation, this text focuses specifically on English. Assuming no prior linguistic knowledge, Ingo Plag explains the fundamentals of word-formation, demonstrating how morphemes--the elements of a word's internal structure--can function to relate words to other words, and to create new words. Students are encouraged to undertake their own morphological analysis of English words, and are introduced to the methodological tools for obtaining and analyzing relevant data.

This book serves as an introduction to English linguistics for beginning university students, emphasizing a hands-on approach with a strong focus on linguistic analysis and argumentation. It adopts an empirical perspective, requiring students to address theoretical and methodological challenges in analyzing data. The theoretical framework is developed in relation to the data rather than presented as established facts. By engaging with the material, students will learn to utilize essential methodological tools to gather relevant data, such as corpora and dictionaries, and systematically analyze their findings in relation to theoretical issues. The content is not confined to a specific theoretical framework, drawing insights from various research traditions. Core areas of linguistics covered include phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. The final chapter expands the discussion to other linguistic research fields, including historical, sociolinguistics, and psycholinguistics. Additionally, the book includes exercises and a glossary to enhance learning.