GEN120 - Universal Grammar - Part I

Summary

Noam Chomsky's theory of Universal Grammar suggests that our brains are innately equipped with a mental template for learning grammar. Initially focused on European languages, it aimed to define a set of rules applicable to all languages. However, exceptions led to a revision in the 1980s, introducing principles and parameters to account for linguistic diversity. The latest revision in 2002 proposed computational recursion as the core feature of language. Despite challenges and counterexamples, the theory posits that all humans possess the potential for recursion in language, akin to our innate senses of taste.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Noam Chomsky proposed that humans have an innate mental template for learning grammar, known as Universal Grammar.
• 🌐 Universal Grammar aimed to define a set of rules applicable to all languages, highlighting a hidden unity beneath the diversity of languages.
• 📚 Chomsky's theory was a radical departure from traditional and structuralist approaches that focused more on the speaker's intelligence and morphemes.
• 💡 His theory suggested that language has both a computational structure and biological roots, akin to computer languages.
• 🌱 The initial version of Universal Grammar was based primarily on European languages, which led to challenges when exceptions like ergative languages were discovered.
• 🔄 The 1980s revision of the theory introduced the concept of Universal Principles and Parameters to account for variations in language structure.
• 🚦 An example of a parameter is the 'pro-drop' parameter, which determines whether a language allows sentences without an overt subject.
• 🔄 The 2002 revision focused on 'computational recursion' or 'merge' as the sole feature of Universal Grammar, allowing for an infinite number of sentences from a limited set of words and rules.
• 🌿 Chomsky suggested that recursion may have arisen from a genetic mutation between 100,000 and 50,000 years ago, distinguishing language from other cognitive processes.
• 🤔 Despite its theoretical elegance, Universal Grammar faces empirical challenges and counterexamples, such as the Amazonian language Pirahã, which lacks recursive structures.

Q & A

What did Noam Chomsky propose about our brains and language acquisition?

Noam Chomsky proposed that our brains are hardwired with a mental template for learning grammar, which he called 'Universal Grammar'. This theory suggests that we rely on this innate module to acquire language.

What is the purpose of Universal Grammar according to Chomsky?

The purpose of Universal Grammar is to define a set of rules applicable to all languages, exposing a hidden unity that underlies the diversity of the world's languages.

How did Chomsky's theory of Universal Grammar differ from traditional approaches?

Chomsky's theory was a radical break from traditional approaches that relied too much on the intelligence of the speaker and failed to account for various linguistic phenomena. It also differed from structuralist approaches that were too limited in scope and focused too much on morphemes and phones.

What were the two emerging trends in Western intellectual life that influenced Chomsky's first version of Universal Grammar?

The two emerging trends were the idea that language had both a computational structure and was rooted in human biology.

What was the limitation of the initial Universal Grammar based on European languages?

The limitation was that it did not account for languages that did not align with the established schema, such as ergative languages and native Australian languages, which use sentence subjects and noun and verb phrases differently.

What changes were made to Universal Grammar in the 1980s?

In the 1980s, Universal Grammar was revised to identify universal principles and parameters that governed the structure of languages, rather than a single grammar for all languages.

Can you explain the principles and parameters approach with a nonlinguistic example?

Sure, a nonlinguistic example is that all countries have roads that can be driven on (principle), but the parameter is on which side of the road to drive, which varies by country.

What is the 'prodrop parameter' in linguistics?

The 'prodrop parameter' is a linguistic concept that refers to whether a language allows for the omission of the subject pronoun in sentences. It is set to 'minus' for languages like English and German where the pronoun cannot be dropped, and 'plus' for languages like Italian and Spanish where it can.

What is the most recent revision of Universal Grammar as described by Chomsky in 2002?

The most recent revision of Universal Grammar, as described by Chomsky in 2002, includes only one feature called 'computational recursion' or 'merge', which allows a limited number of words and rules to be combined to make an unlimited number of sentences.

How does Chomsky suggest the recursive ability in language may have arisen?

Chomsky proposes that the recursive ability in language may have arisen from a single genetic mutation between 100,000 and 50,000 years ago.

What is the counterexample to the recursive structures in Universal Grammar?

The Amazonian language Pirahã is a counterexample as it does not exhibit recursive structures.

How do defenders of Universal Grammar respond to counterexamples like Pirahã?

Defenders of Universal Grammar argue that the absence of recursive structures in a language does not mean that speakers lack the potential for recursion, similar to how a culture lacking salt does not mean its members cannot taste salt.