Brain Basis of Meaning, Words, Constructions, and Grammar

P. 397-416.

Pulvermuller F., Cappelle B., Shtyrov Y.

This chapter examines the neurophysiological plausibility of some of the claims of Construction Grammar with regard to syntactic structures. It suggests that evidence from neuroscience has highly important repercussions for linguistic theory building in general and argues that the constructionist enterprise receives considerable empirical support from neurolinguistic studies. The chapter examines views on the embodiment of grammar in neuronal circuitry and contends that neurological evidence indicates that it makes sense to postulate flexible constructional templates as distinct from lexical construction storage.

Keywords: neurophysiological plausibility,, syntactic structures, neuroscience, linguistic theory, grammar, neuronal circuitry, lexical construction

In book

The Oxford Handbook of Construction Grammar

Edited by: T. Hoffmann, G. Trousdale. NY: Oxford University Press, 2013.