Syntax and Semantics
The study of syntax at Berkeley pairs training in theoretical analysis with a strong empirical commitment and emphasizes the examination of foundational assumptions. Expertise in the development of theoretical tools and firsthand work with data are seen as necessary and mutually reinforcing toward the scientific analysis of language. Syntacticians at Berkeley are particularly interested in the interaction of syntax and semantics, as well as the interaction of syntax with other components of the grammar, including syntax and the lexicon, syntax and formal semantics/pragmatics, syntax and morphology, and syntax and phonology. Related fields include the study of syntax and semantics from a cognitive perspective and the study of syntax and discourse. Faculty in syntax combine expertise in a number of areas that include semantics, typology, historical, fieldwork, and language areas including Native American, African, Indo-European, Southeast Asian, East Asian and Caucasian.