In relational grammar,
constituents that serve as the
arguments to
predicates are numbered in what is called the grammatical relations (GR) hierarchy. This numbering system corresponds loosely to the notions of
subject,
direct object and
indirect object. The numbering scheme is subject → (1), direct object → (2) and indirect object → (3). Other constituents (such as
oblique,
genitive, and object of
comparative) are called nonterms (N). The predicate is marked (P).
One of the components of RG theory is a set of
linguistic universals stated in terms of the numbered roles presented above. Such a universal is the stratal uniqueness law, which states that there can be at most one 1, 2, and 3 per stratum.
The NP constituents of a clause are linearized in their GR hierarchy order, from left to right.
The verb of a clause may be placed in
(a) initial position in all clauses,
(b) second position in all clauses, or
(c) final position in all clauses.
If placement of the verb leaves the subject NP noninitial, the subject may be assigned final position.
However, Pullum formulated these universals before the discovery of languages with
object-initial word order. After the discovery of such languages, he retracted his prior statements.[2]
^
abPullum, Geoffrey K. (1977). Cole, P.; Sadock, J. M. (eds.). "Word order universals and grammatical relations". Syntax and Semantics. 8: 249–277.
doi:
10.1163/9789004368866_011.
ISBN9789004368866.
^Derbyshire, Desmond C.; Pullum, Geoffrey K. (1979).
"Object initial languages". Work Papers of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, University of North Dakota Session. 23 (2): 27–28.
doi:10.31356/silwp.vol23.02. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
Sources
Johnson, David E. (1974–1979). Toward a Theory of Relationally-based Grammar. Outstanding Dissertations in Linguistics Series, ed. Jorge Hankamer. NY: Garland Publishing, Inc.
ISBN978-0-8240-9682-3
Johnson, David E. and Paul M. Postal (1980). Arc Pair Grammar. Princeton: PUP.
ISBN0-691-08270-7
Newmeyer, Frederick (1980). Linguistics in America. New York: Academic Press.
ISBN978-90-277-1290-5
Postal, Paul M. (1974). On Raising - An Inquiry into One Rule of English Grammar and Its Theoretical Implications. Mass.: MIT Press.
ISBN978-0-262-66041-9
Further reading
Blake, Barry J. (1990). Relational grammar. London: Routledge.
Perlmutter, David M. (1980). Relational grammar. In E. A. Moravcsik & J. R. Wirth (Eds.), Syntax and semantics: Current approaches to syntax (Vol. 13, pp. 195–229). New York: Academic Press.