Construction grammar and oral formulaic theory.

Abstract

The notions of construction and formula are, respectively, the main currencies of cognitive grammar and the theory of oral-formulaic composition in performance. Even though they originated independently, both formulas and constructions are defined as form-meaning-function patterns, and, as such, represent the central theoretical constructs in their respective fields. In this chapter we propose a connection between these two research traditions, in the hope this will open up new vistas for scholars in oral poetics, cognitive linguistics, and cognitive science. To examine how connecting these two approaches may provide new insights, we first compare the frameworks of construction grammar and the Parry-Lord theory of oral composition in performance, paying particular attention to the (often problematic) definitions of the concepts of oral formula and grammatical construction, showing that the two are based on very similar foundations. We then go on to suggest how both approaches can complement one another, outlining the connections between some of their major interests and recent developments. Finally, we illustrate our ideas with an analysis of a formula highlighted by Albert Lord in The Singer of Tales, using the methodological apparatus of construction grammar. Our conclusion is that this combination of the two approaches can help us reach a better understanding of both formulas and constructions, as well as build the foundations for an interdisciplinary field of cognitive oral poetics. This new field, we hope, will have the potential to provide important insights into not only verbal art, but also into language and cognition in general, especially in the domains of generalization in language, language acquisition, and the relation between verbal form and conceptual structure.