Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics.pdf

Dictionary of language and linguistics 598irregular verb1 Type of verb present in all languages which has paradigms that deviate from regularpatterns. In English (as a Germanic language), these include (a) historically ‘strong’verbs which form the past tense by some other means than the suffix -ed (eat: ate vswork: worked); (b) suppletive verbs ( suppletivism), which form the past tense andpast participle by suppleting them with different roots (to be, are, is, was, been); (c)modals (can, should, may), many of which trace back to preteritepresents; (d) theauxiliaries will, have; (e) so-called rückumlaut verbs, which are historically weak buthave vowel and consonant alternations in the past and participle (bring-brought-brought,think-thought-thought).2 For English, any verb that does not form its past tense and past participle by adding -d or -ed.islandA term in transformational grammar for syntactic structures which limit the scope oftransformational rules ( transformation) and interpretation rules so that they can onlybe used within certain domains. For example, (a) adnominal sentences, (b) sententialsubjects, and (c) co-ordinated structures are islands. For certain rules, this term, coined byRoss in 1967, suggests that it is impossible to leave an island with a transformationalmovement.ReferencesGoodluck, H. and M.Rochemont, eds 1992. Island constraints. Dordrecht.Grosu, A. 1981. Approaches to island phenomena. Amsterdam.Ross, J.R. 1967. Constraints on variables in syntax. Dissertation, Cambridge, MA. (Repr. as Infinitesyntax! Norwood, NJ, 1986.)constraints, subjacency, transformational grammarisogloss [Grk ísos ‘same,’‘language’]In dialectology, boundary lines on language maps that show the geographical spread of acertain word. In contrast, cf. isophones, which refer to the sound inventory.