Origins of Human Language - The Structure of Language

7 important questions on Origins of Human Language - The Structure of Language

What is the element called that predicts the meaning of a number of words in a sentence?


Syntax is, in a given language, the set of “rules” that specify how meaningful linguistic elements are put together so that their meaning can be clearly understood


Where did Chomsky (1986) apply the term “Plato’s problem”?


To any situation in which there’s an apparent gap between experience and knowledge, and suggested that language was such a case. (children seem to know many things about language that is never been thaught, like the order of words in a sentence)

What are three aspects of combining units?


- Use sounds to make words

- Combine meaningful elements to make other, larger meaningful elements.


Assembling sentences out of their component parts that would make their meanings clear from their structure.
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What are some arguments for a universal grammar?



The argument is that, though different languages vary quite a bit, the shape of any given human language is constrained by certain universal principles or tendencies.


What are the cons for a universal grammar, and why are some researchers skeptical of the notion?

However, young children are able to grasp quite a lot of information about structure by relying on very robust learning machinery. This reduces the need to propose some preexisting knowledge or learning biases.

What is meant with "universal grammer"?


An innately understood system of combining linguistic units that constrains the structural patterns of all human languages.

What is an example of the term "recursive"?

"John's brother" is an abstract object and allows to be nested within other linguistic units of the same kind (the girl who lives next door to John's brother).

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