Author Description

This text focuses on the form and the function of commands from a typological perspective. A team of internationally-renowned experts in the field examine the interrelationship of these speech acts with cultural stereotypes and practices, as well as their origins and development, especially in the light of language contact. They begin with an introduction outlining the marking and the meaning of imperatives and other ways of expressing commands and directives. Each chapter that follows offers an in-depth analysis of commands in a particular language.