Theory and Description in Generative Syntax: A Case Study in West Flemish

This book offers a detailed description and analysis of West Flemish, a dialect of Dutch, within the framework of Government and Binding Theory. The study focusses on two constructions: the doubling of subject pronouns, and the order of verb phrase constituents. For each construction the book gives a rigourous account of the data, and a theoretical analysis. It demonstrates how recent developments in generative syntax can help to explain the properties of individual dialects. Liliane Haegeman combines expertise in theoretical linguistics and traditional philology. Her study blends rigourous description of a little-studied dialect with considerable theoretical sophistication and insight. It will be welcomed by all linguists with an interest in generative syntax, as well as those interested in the Germanic languages.