Integrational Linguistics (IL) is a general approach to

linguistics Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), Morphology (linguistics), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds ...

that has been developed by the German linguist Hans-Heinrich Lieb and others since the late 1960s. The term "Integrational Linguistics" as a name for this approach has been used in publications since 1977Lieb, Hans-Heinrich. 1977. ''Outline of Integrational Linguistics: Preliminary version''. Berlin: Freie Universität Berlin, Fachbereich Germanistik. (Linguistische Arbeiten und Berichte ABBerlin (West) 9). and antedates the use of the same term for integrationism, an unrelated approach developed by Roy Harris.Sackmann, Robin. 2006. "Integrational Linguistics (IL)". In: Keith Brown (ed.-in-chief). ''Encyclopedia of language and linguistics''. 2nd edition. Oxford: Elsevier. Vol.5. 704–713. Integrational Linguistics continues being developed by an open group of linguists from various countries.Lieb, Hans-Heinrich: "History of Integrational Linguistics: a short outline"
''The Homepage of Integrational Linguistics''. (Retrieved April 21, 2013).

Overview

Over the past decades, IL has developed two major linguistic theories: (i) a general theory of language (the integrational theory of language) that covers both the systematic features of language systems and the phenomenon of language variability in a unified way, and (ii) a theory of grammars (the integrational theory of grammars), understood as part of a theory of

linguistic description In the study of language, description or descriptive linguistics is the work of objectively analyzing and describing how language is actually used (or how it was used in the past) by a speech community. François & Ponsonnet (2013). All aca ...

s. The separation of a theory of language from a theory of grammars is a major feature of IL by which it differs from approaches with a generative orientation. After an initial emphasis on the integrational theory of grammars till the mid-1970s, work in IL has been characterized by a steady and continuous refinement of the integrational theory of language based on empirical data from typologically diverse languages, avoiding basic revisions as they occurred in Chomskyan

generative grammar Generative grammar is a research tradition in linguistics that aims to explain the cognitive basis of language by formulating and testing explicit models of humans' subconscious grammatical knowledge. Generative linguists, or generativists (), ...

. The most comprehensive presentation of IL to date is Lieb (1983).Lieb, Hans-Heinrich. 1983. ''Integrational Linguistics. Vol. I: General Outline''. Amsterdam; Philadelphia: Benjamins. (= Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 17). This book contains both a theory of grammars and a general theory of language comprising a general

morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines *Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts *Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...

, morphosemantics,

lexical semantics Lexical semantics (also known as lexicosemantics), as a subfield of linguistics, linguistic semantics, is the study of word meanings.Pustejovsky, J. (2005) Lexical Semantics: Overview' in Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, second edition, V ...

syntax In linguistics, syntax ( ) is the study of how words and morphemes combine to form larger units such as phrases and sentences. Central concerns of syntax include word order, grammatical relations, hierarchical sentence structure (constituenc ...

, and sentential semantics; a general

phonology Phonology (formerly also phonemics or phonematics: "phonemics ''n.'' 'obsolescent''1. Any procedure for identifying the phonemes of a language from a corpus of data. 2. (formerly also phonematics) A former synonym for phonology, often pre ...

has been added by Lieb (1998,Lieb, Hans-Heinrich. 1998. "Morph, Wort, Silbe: Umrisse einer Integrativen Phonologie des Deutschen". In: Matthias Butt, and Nanna Fuhrhop (eds). ''Variation und Stabilität in der Wortstruktur: Untersuchungen zu Entwicklung, Erwerb und Varietäten des Deutschen und anderer Sprachen''. Hildesheim etc.: Olms. (= Germanistische Linguistik 141–142). 334–407. 1999,Lieb, Hans-Heinrich. 1999. "Was ist Wortakzent? Eine Untersuchung am Beispiel des Deutschen". In: Wolfgang Schindler, and Jürgen Untermann (eds). ''Grippe, Kamm und Eulenspiegel: Festschrift für

Elmar Seebold Elmar Seebold (born 28 September 1934) is a German philologist who specializes in Germanic philology. From 1971 to 1983, Seebold was Professor of Germanic philology at the University of Fribourg. He then transferred to the Ludwig Maximilian ...

zum 65. Geburtstag''. Berlin; New York: de Gruyter. 225–261. 2008Lieb, Hans-Heinrich. 2008. "The case for two-level phonology: German Obstruent Tensing and Nasal Alternation in French". In: Robin Sackmann (ed.). ''Explorations in Integrational Linguistics: four essays on German, French, and Guaraní. (Studies in Integrational Linguistics, 1)''. Amsterdam; Philadelphia: Benjamins. (= Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 285). 21–96.). A shorter overview of the theory of language developed in IL may be found in Lieb (1992);Lieb, Hans-Heinrich. 1992. "Integrational Linguistics: Outline of a theory of language". In: Hans-Heinrich Lieb (ed.). ''Prospects for a New Structuralism''. Amsterdam; Philadelphia: Benjamins. (= Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 96). 127–182. for its syntactic part see, in particular, Lieb (1993).Lieb, Hans-Heinrich. 1993. "Integrational Linguistics". In: Joachim Jacobs, Arnim von Stechow, Wolfgang Sternefeld, and Theo Vennemann (eds). ''Syntax: Ein internationales Handbuch zeitgenössischer Forschung / An International Handbook of Contemporary Research''. Vol.1. Berlin etc.: de Gruyter. (= Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft 9.1). 430–468. The general orientation of Integrational Linguistics places this approach within a 'New Structuralism' that combines careful attention to

methodological In its most common sense, methodology is the study of research methods. However, the term can also refer to the methods themselves or to the philosophical discussion of associated background assumptions. A method is a structured procedure for bri ...

soundness, emphasis on actual language description, and a cognitive outlook that leaves language structure outside the mind (Lieb 1992);Lieb, Hans-Heinrich (ed.). 1992g. ''Prospects for a New Structuralism''. Amsterdam; Philadelphia: Benjamins. (= Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 96). at the same time, IL is closest among modern approaches to Western grammatical tradition. Integrational Linguistics has its own multilingual website
''The Homepage of Integrational Linguistics''
which contains, among other resources, a comprehensiv

as well as information about linguists currently working within this approach.

Main features

IL is not a theory but an ''approach'' within general linguistics, i.e. the branch of linguistics which studies all languages and aims at developing a general theory of language. Accordingly, IL has developed a comprehensive theoretical framework for the description of arbitrary languages. From its inception, this framework has been a non-generative and non-transformational, but rather declarative formal framework for studying all aspects of language and languages. IL provides an axiomatically formulated theory of language, which currently covers, in particular, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and language variability. IL is a ''non-generative'' and ''non-transformational'' approach in linguistics: it assumes neither "deep structures" nor transformational relations between sequentially ordered structures. Rather, IL conceives linguistic entities as interrelated, "multidimensional" objects, which are typically modelled as set-theoretic constructs.Nolda, Andreas; and Oliver Teuber (2011). "Introduction: Multiple dimensions in syntax and morphology". In: Andreas Nolda, and Oliver Teuber (eds.). ''Syntax and Morphology Multidimensional''. Berlin: de Gruyter Mouton. (= Interface Explorations 24). 1–16. IL is opposed to basic assumptions that characterize linguistic cognitivism in its 'non-intentionalist' varieties: the objects of linguistics are construed not as mental or

neurophysiological Neurophysiology is a branch of physiology and neuroscience concerned with the functions of the nervous system and their mechanisms. The term ''neurophysiology'' originates from the Greek word ''νεῦρον'' ("nerve") and ''physiology'' (whic ...

mechanisms or corresponding 'representations,' but as natural languages conceived as abstract, extramental entities; a grammar of a language is an empirical

theory A theory is a systematic and rational form of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the conclusions derived from such thinking. It involves contemplative and logical reasoning, often supported by processes such as observation, experimentation, ...

(ideally, an empirical axiomatic theory) of that language, in a sense of 'theory' that requires sets of statements among the theory's componentsLieb, Hans-Heinrich. 1974/1976. "Grammars as theories: the case for axiomatic grammar". Part I: ''Theoretical Linguistics'' 1. 39–115. Part II: ''Theoretical Linguistics'' 3. 1–98. Hence, the traditional generative as well as the more recent cognitive conceptions of grammars as

algorithm In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm () is a finite sequence of Rigour#Mathematics, mathematically rigorous instructions, typically used to solve a class of specific Computational problem, problems or to perform a computation. Algo ...

s are rejected: from the very beginning, grammars were construed in IL not as algorithms but as 'declarative' theories (theories that make claims formulated as statements, and carefully keep apart a description from the entities described), a position that is currently being seriously considered also in other approaches. Natural languages are seen to arise from abstract, extramental objects (such as phonetic sounds). However, these objects are associated with concrete physical events (such as

utterance In spoken language analysis, an utterance is a continuous piece of speech, by one person, before or after which there is silence on the part of the person. In the case of oral language, spoken languages, it is generally, but not always, bounded ...

s of phonetic sound sequences) and are involved in the content of mental states or events that are connected with language use and knowledge. IL is thus compatible with a non-cognitivist, 'intentionalist' mentalism that may be proposed as typical of a 'New Structuralism' (Lieb 1992a,Lieb, Hans-Heinrich. 1992. "Prospects for a New Structuralism: Introduction". In: Hans-Heinrich Lieb (ed.). ''Prospects for a New Structuralism''. Amsterdam; Philadelphia: Benjamins. (= Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 96). 1–13. 1992bLieb, Hans-Heinrich. 1992. "The case for a New Structuralism". In: Hans-Heinrich Lieb (ed.). ''Prospects for a New Structuralism''. Amsterdam; Philadelphia: Benjamins. (= Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 96). 33–72.). Given these characteristics, the common but rather constrained distinction between ' formalist,' ' functionalist,' and ' cognitivist' schools of linguistics does not apply to IL, which exhibits features of all three kinds of approaches. Major advantages of IL may be seen in (i) the fact that it was developed in view of the full spectrum of linguistic diversity from the outset, (ii) its integration of all levels of linguistic description (from phonetics to sentence semantics) within a unified theoretical framework, (iii) its inclusion of both system-based and non-system-based properties of languages, (iv) its development both of a theory of language and a theory of linguistic descriptions, and (v) the ontological explicitness and consistency of all its theories, making it a framework suitable for the description of individual languages as well as for contrastive linguistics, linguistic typology and universals research. IL adopts a positive and constructive attitude toward Western linguistic tradition and regards itself as a part of this tradition. In syntax and morphology, the Integrational Theory of Language centers around a formally explicit, consistent, and vastly enriched version of theoretical conceptions underlying actual grammar writing since antiquity, embedding them in a broader scientific context that comprises linguistics and its neighboring disciplines; and the Integrational Theory of Grammars applies modern means to account for the intricacies of actual descriptive work. Integrational Linguistics strives for logical soundness even in informal descriptions and makes extensive use of naive set theory in formulating its theories in order to achieve explicitness and clarity.

Motivation for the name "integrational linguistics"

The term 'integrational' is motivated by the following 'integrative' features of the approach as a whole: # Linguistics is construed as a well-defined discipline in its own right but is also placed within a wider system of interrelated disciplines. Contrary to the conceptions proposed by

Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American professor and public intellectual known for his work in linguistics, political activism, and social criticism. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is also a ...

, which reduced linguistics first to

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

and later to

biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...

, IL adopts a non- reductionist stance: such disciplines as biology, psychology,

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

, and

anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...

are conceived as neighboring disciplines of linguistics, disciplines that each share a branch with linguistics (

biolinguistics Biolinguistics can be defined as the Biology, biological and Evolutionary linguistics, evolutionary study of language. It is highly interdisciplinary as it draws from various fields such as sociobiology, linguistics, psychology, anthropology, math ...

psycholinguistics Psycholinguistics or psychology of language is the study of the interrelation between linguistic factors and psychological aspects. The discipline is mainly concerned with the mechanisms by which language is processed and represented in the mind ...

sociolinguistics Sociolinguistics is the descriptive, scientific study of how language is shaped by, and used differently within, any given society. The field largely looks at how a language changes between distinct social groups, as well as how it varies unde ...

, etc.); and linguistics itself is construed as a branch of (human)

semiotics Semiotics ( ) is the systematic study of sign processes and the communication of meaning. In semiotics, a sign is defined as anything that communicates intentional and unintentional meaning or feelings to the sign's interpreter. Semiosis is a ...

. # A broad view of linguistic subject matter is taken: linguistics deals with all aspects of natural languages that are directly or indirectly relevant to their use. This includes not only systematic aspects of languages, i.e., aspects related to structural properties of 'linguistic systems' in a traditional sense, but also the internal variability of languages; the relationship between languages and the structure of the societies in which they are used; the relationship between

communication Communication is commonly defined as the transmission of information. Its precise definition is disputed and there are disagreements about whether Intention, unintentional or failed transmissions are included and whether communication not onl ...

in a language and actions by, or psychological processes in, a speaker; the neurophysiological and psychological foundations for learning and mastering a language; and aspects of the development and decline of languages. # It is assumed that each major aspect of natural languages (the morphological, the syntactic, the semantic, etc.) must be characterized in its own right, which includes showing its interrelations with other aspects. This is achieved in IL by developing separate but interrelated theories for each major aspect (Integrational Morphology, Integrational Syntax, etc.) that form coherent parts of a larger 'Integrational Theory of Language Systems' (see below). # A non-linguistic theory (e.g., a psychological or sociological theory) may be integrated with a theory of language, and relevant parts of a general theory of language are, as a rule, integrated with each language description (itself a theory of one or more individual languages or language varieties): the language description is formulated 'in terms of' a theory of language, that is, it incorporates and employs terms, definitions, assumptions, and theorems from the underlying general theory. This idea of 'theory integration' is made precise in the Integrational Theory of Grammars.

History

Integrational Linguistics is an approach to linguistics that has arisen mainly from work done by Hans-Heinrich Lieb since roughly 1965. From its inception, Integrational Linguistics has been non-generative. Lieb's early work, culminating in Lieb (1970),Lieb, Hans-Heinrich. 1970. ''Sprachstadium und Sprachsystem: Umrisse einer Sprachtheorie''. Stuttgart etc.: Kohlhammer. was directed towards that part of a theory of language that deals with language-internal variability, especially with variability in time. As such, it was opposed to the general orientation of linguistics in the sixties and early seventies where language variability was programmatically disregarded. The integrational treatment of language variability has later been continued, and to some extent completed, in Lieb (1993).Lieb, Hans-Heinrich. 1993. ''Linguistic variables: Towards a unified theory of linguistic variation''. Amsterdam; Philadelphia: Benjamins. (= Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 108). The 1970 framework for language variability did not include a theory of language systems. In 1972, Lieb began work on a general syntax as part of a theory of language systems. At the same time he was also working on a theory of grammars conceived as part of a theory of linguistic description not of a theory of language. In the Integrational Theory of Grammars, the traditional modern conception of grammars as algorithms was rejected in favour of a conception that has later become known as 'declarative grammar'. The integrational format of grammars construed as empirical axiomatic theories (Lieb 1974, 1976) is also characterized in Lieb (1983: Part G), and more briefly in Lieb (1989).Lieb, Hans-Heinrich. 1989. "Integrational grammars: An integrative view of grammar writing". In: Gottfried Graustein, and Gerhard Leitner (eds). ''Reference grammars and modern linguistic theory''. Tübingen: Niemeyer. (= Linguistische Arbeiten 226). 205–228. In 1972 Lieb founded a research group at the

Freie Universität Berlin The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public university, public research university in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in West Berlin in 1948 with American support during the early Cold War period a ...

for further developing a general syntax as part of a theory of language. Under his direction, the group did work both on a general syntax and on the syntax of German from 1972 to 1982. Since 1992 there has again been a regular research colloquium at the Freie Universität Berlin working on problems of Integrational Linguistics. Differently from other approaches, there have been no abrupt changes of direction in Integrational Linguistics. By now the theory of language developed in Integrational Linguistics has grown into an in-depth theory of all major aspects of language, and its application to a number of different and unrelated languages of the world is in progress. So far, the following languages have been or are being studied from an integrational point of view:

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, English,

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

, French,

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

, Polish, Chinese, Burmese, Yinchia, Guaraní, Aweti.

References

External links