Generative semantics is the name of a research program within linguistics, initiated by the work of various early students of Noam Chomsky: John R. Ross, Paul Postal, and later James McCawley. George Lakoff was also instrumental in developing and advocating the theory.
The approach developed out of transformational generative grammar in the mid 1960s, but stood largely apart from, and in opposition to, work by Noam Chomsky and his later students. This move led to a more abstract framework and lately to the abandonment of the notion of deep structure.
A number of ideas from later work in generative semantics have been incorporated into cognitive linguistics, Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar (HPSG), Construction Grammar, and into mainstream Chomskyan linguistics.
Read more about Generative Semantics: History, “Interpretive” Vs. “generative” Semantics
Famous quotes containing the word generative:
“The generative energy, which, when we are loose, dissipates and makes us unclean, when we are continent invigorates and inspires us. Chastity is the flowering of man; and what are called Genius, Heroism, Holiness, and the like, are but various fruits which succeed it.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)