Functional Grammar from its inception
Matthew P. Anstey
- Introduction
Hengeveld’s chapter (this volume) was written with two purposes in mind.^1
On the one hand, it is the latest attempt within Functional Grammar to for-
mulate an explicit model for the detailing of natural language phenomena.
On the other, it is a manifesto for those working within the Functional
Grammar movement, a framework wherein scholars may locate their contri-
bution to the general theory. This new architecture, therefore, is not only a
design for a theoretical ‘space’. It is also, metaphorically speaking, a design
for a collective, academic space, a conceptual meeting-place for those work-
ing in the many divergent subdisciplines of the linguistic sciences who wish
to identify themselves to some degree with Functional Grammar.
Accordingly, this chapter is an evaluation of Hengeveld’s proposal in
light of these two purposes, as seen from the perspective of the evolution of
Functional Grammar. Three important questions will be addressed. As a
framework for Functional Grammar, what is its relationship to previous
models? Does it address the objections raised against previous models? As a
framework for Functional Grammarians, does it create sufficient space for
the Functional Grammar academic community to continue to share one roof?
- Preliminaries
2.1. Chronological Overview
Clearly, such a historical overview needs to be highly selective. I have
concentrated on the core of Functional Grammar, organizing the material