Basic linguistic theory

Basic linguistic theory (BLT) is a term coined by R. M. W. Dixon to describe the theoretical framework and basic concepts that is generally used in grammatical description of languages, and in linguistic typology.

It is not always considered to be a theory, but is used in so-called "theory neutral" language description. Proponents of basic linguistic theory as theory point out that it is a set of concepts and theoretical assumptions that has been accumulated from empirical investigation of the world's languages.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] However, critics will posit that there is no part of basic linguistic terminology that all linguists in the world agree about.^[6]

References

^ Dryer, Matthew S. (2006). "Descriptive theories, explanatory theories, and basic linguistic theory". In Felix Ameka; Alan Dench; Nicholas Evans (eds.). Catching Language: Issues in Grammar Writing (PDF). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. pp. 207–234. This paper is primarily directed at linguists who can be construed as functionalist, using the term in a broad sense that includes most work in typology and work by descriptive linguists. The central issue discussed in this paper is what sort of theory we need for linguistic description, if one adopts a functionalist view of language, which for the purposes of this paper can be characterized as the view that functional or grammar-external principles play a central role in explaining why languages are the way they are.
^ Matthew Dryer. "What is Basic Linguistic Theory?".
^ Dixon, R.M.W. 1997. The rise and fall of languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
^ Dixon, R. M. (2012). Basic Linguistic Theory Volume 3: Further Grammatical Topics (Vol. 3). Oxford University Press.
^ Dixon, R.M.W., 2009. Basic Linguistic Theory Volume 1: Methodology. Oxford University Press, Oxford
^ McGregor, William B. (2021). Neo-Firthian approaches to linguistic typology. Sheffield, UK: Equinox. p. 25. ISBN 9781781796672.

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[1] Dryer, Matthew S. (2006). "Descriptive theories, explanatory theories, and basic linguistic theory". In Felix Ameka; Alan Dench; Nicholas Evans (eds.). Catching Language: Issues in Grammar Writing (PDF). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. pp. 207–234. This paper is primarily directed at linguists who can be construed as functionalist, using the term in a broad sense that includes most work in typology and work by descriptive linguists. The central issue discussed in this paper is what sort of theory we need for linguistic description, if one adopts a functionalist view of language, which for the purposes of this paper can be characterized as the view that functional or grammar-external principles play a central role in explaining why languages are the way they are.

[2] Matthew Dryer. "What is Basic Linguistic Theory?".

[3] Dixon, R.M.W. 1997. The rise and fall of languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[4] Dixon, R. M. (2012). Basic Linguistic Theory Volume 3: Further Grammatical Topics (Vol. 3). Oxford University Press.

[5] Dixon, R.M.W., 2009. Basic Linguistic Theory Volume 1: Methodology. Oxford University Press, Oxford

[6] McGregor, William B. (2021). Neo-Firthian approaches to linguistic typology. Sheffield, UK: Equinox. p. 25. ISBN 9781781796672.

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