LING 1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Verb, Wilhelm Von Humboldt, Konrad Lorenz
Descriptive*grammar*–describe*what*native*speakers*of*a*language*do*when*they*speak*their*
language.*"Linguistic"*meaning
Prescriptive*grammar*–categorizes*certain*language*uses*as*acceptable*or*unacceptable*
according*to*a*standard*form*of*the*language.*Standard*meaning*in*English*class.
You*can*say*whatever*you*want*and*it*will*be*correct*linguistically*but*it*will*not*be*
proper*English.
Last%Lecture
Implicit*rules*governing*how*we*speak
•
Subject*Verb*agreement*rule
•
Reduce*the*vert*BE*(up*to*deletion)*rule
•
Recursion*Rule*(all*sentences*are*not*memorized).
What*is*the*longest*sentence*in*English,*there*is*none.
○
Sentences*can*be*combined*within*other*sentences.*The*sounds*will*be*similar*
and*the*meanings*will*be*similar*–predictable.
○
Human*Language*=*Infinite*Use*of*Finite*Means
…*through*rules.*–Friedrich*Wilhelm*von*Humboldt
Property*of*recursion*–The*possibility*of*which*in*language*has*been*argues*to*distinguish*
humans*from*all*other*animals.
Pirahã*
Instinct.
Recursion*Rule*and*its*properties.
Bisons*use*head*signals.*Humans*use*facial*expressions*and*eye*contact.*Instinct.
Konrad*Lorenz*had*ducks*that*followed*him*everywhere.*Systematically*following,*
instinctually.*They*didn't*learn*to*follow*him,*they*had*an*instinct.
Bee*Waggle*Dance.
1.
Imprint,*studies*isolated*baby*geese.
2.
Birds*learning*to*sing*(zebra*finch).*They*have*a*specific*type*of*song.*Researcher*raised*
zebra*finch*in*an*environment*where*there*were*no*other*songs.*It*started*singing*
anyway,*but*not*familiar*song.*The*offspring*sung*better*than*the*original*finch.*Pattern*
continued,*songs*continued*to*get*better*generationally.
3.
The*recursion*rule*–Infinite*Use*of*Finite*Means*=*Generalization*to*infinity*given*a*finite*
sample.
The*Problem*of*Induction
Induction*–any*process*by*which*one*infers*from*some*observed*data*a*rule*that*applies*
beyond*these*data.
There*are*lots*of*different*rules.*Some*rules*apply*where*others*don't.
Question%Formation:
John*is*in*the*garden. Is*John*__*in*the*garden?
A*unicorn*is*in*the*garden. Is*a*unicorn*__*in*the*garden?
A*unicorn*that*is*eating*a*flower*is*in*the*
garden
Is*a*unicorn*that*__*eating*a*flower*is*in*the*
garden?
Is*a*unicorn*that*is*eating*a*flower*__*in*the*
garden?
There*is*no*doubt*that*some*mechanism*of*induction*must*exist*prior*to*learning.
Chomsky's*argument
Children*are*not*taught*language.*They*observe*people*speaking*it*and*acquire*it.*But*
the*data*that*they*have*access*to*are*much*less*complex*tham*the*rules*they*end*up*
acquiring.
Claim:*There*must*be*some*innate*component*to*language.
Question:*What's*the*nature*of*this*innate*component?*An*all-purpose*learning*
mechanism?
If%Chomsky%is%
rights…%should%all%
languages%be%
identical?
Yes,*we*all*have*similar*innate*biases.*There*should*be*something*in*
language*that*reflects*that.*But*these*mechanisms*are*not*always*the*
same*between*cultures.*Biases*do*not*determine*every*aspect*of*the*
language*learned,*only*subparts.
Main*challenge*of*modern*linguistics:*study*different*languages*to*see*what*does*and*what*
does*not*vary.
Invention*of*Language
Creoles
Pidgin*–auxiliary*language*arising*among*speakers*of*mutually*unintelligible* language.
Creole*–language*acquired*by*children*raised*in*a*pidgin-speaking*environment.*A*creole*is*
thus*a*pidgin*that*has*acquired*native*speakers.
A*creole*differs*from*each*of*the*languages*that*face*rise*to*it.•
Diff*creoles*appear*to*have*many*feautures*in*common,*even*when*original*languages*
are*unrelated.
•
"Default*values"*of*Universal*Grammar.
►
Ex.*Jamaican*Creole*(Panois)
Ex.*Nicaraguan*Sign*Language.
First*gen:*created*language*of*signs*to*use*with*family*at*home.
Second*gen:*acquired*different*version*of*language*when*they*were*four.
Ex.*Spanish*speaker*vs*signer.
Speaker*using*his*hands,*developed*further*for*the*signing*people.
Separated*the*manner*of*motion*from*the*direction*of*motion.
Theories*for*Induction* and*Modularity*of*Mind
Universal*Grammar*is*general*intelligence.1.
UG*is*a*more*specific*mechanism,*possibly*language*specific.2.
To*prove*theories,*we*need*to*test:
Double*dissociation:*A*is*impaired*but*not*B*and*B*is*impaired*but*not*A.*There*is*
different*functional*architecture*of*these*two*sub*systems.
Broca's*Aphasia*(SLI)•
Language'as'an'Instinct
Monday,*October*9,*2017
10:31*AM
Descriptive*grammar*–describe*what*native*speakers*of*a*language*do*when*they*speak*their*
language.*"Linguistic"*meaning
Prescriptive*grammar*–categorizes*certain*language*uses*as*acceptable*or*unacceptable*
according*to*a*standard*form*of*the*language.*Standard*meaning*in*English*class.
You*can*say*whatever*you*want*and*it*will*be*correct*linguistically*but*it*will*not*be*
proper*English.
Last%Lecture
Implicit*rules*governing*how*we*speak•
Subject*Verb*agreement*rule•
Reduce*the*vert*BE*(up*to*deletion)*rule•
Recursion*Rule*(all*sentences*are*not*memorized).
What*is*the*longest*sentence*in*English,*there*is*none.
○
Sentences*can*be*combined*within*other*sentences.*The*sounds*will*be*similar*
and*the*meanings*will*be*similar*–predictable.
○
Human*Language*=*Infinite*Use*of*Finite*Means
…*through*rules.*–Friedrich*Wilhelm*von*Humboldt
Property*of*recursion*–The*possibility*of*which*in*language*has*been*argues*to*distinguish*
humans*from*all*other*animals.
Pirahã*
Instinct.
Recursion*Rule*and*its*properties.
Bisons*use*head*signals.*Humans*use*facial*expressions*and*eye*contact.*Instinct.
Konrad*Lorenz*had*ducks*that*followed*him*everywhere.*Systematically*following,*
instinctually.*They*didn't*learn*to*follow*him,*they*had*an*instinct.
Bee*Waggle*Dance.1.
Imprint,*studies*isolated*baby*geese.2.
Birds*learning*to*sing*(zebra*finch).*They*have*a*specific*type*of*song.*Researcher*raised*
zebra*finch*in*an*environment*where*there*were*no*other*songs.*It*started*singing*
anyway,*but*not*familiar*song.*The*offspring*sung*better*than*the*original*finch.*Pattern*
continued,*songs*continued*to*get*better*generationally.
3.
The*recursion*rule*–Infinite*Use*of*Finite*Means*=*Generalization*to*infinity*given*a*finite*
sample.
The*Problem*of*Induction
Induction*–any*process*by*which*one*infers*from*some*observed*data*a*rule*that*applies*
beyond*these*data.
There*are*lots*of*different*rules.*Some*rules*apply*where*others*don't.
Question%Formation:
John*is*in*the*garden. Is*John*__*in*the*garden?
A*unicorn*is*in*the*garden. Is*a*unicorn*__*in*the*garden?
A*unicorn*that*is*eating*a*flower*is*in*the*
garden
Is*a*unicorn*that*__*eating*a*flower*is*in*the*
garden?
Is*a*unicorn*that*is*eating*a*flower*__*in*the*
garden?
There*is*no*doubt*that*some*mechanism*of*induction*must*exist*prior*to*learning.
Chomsky's*argument
Children*are*not*taught*language.*They*observe*people*speaking*it*and*acquire*it.*But*
the*data*that*they*have*access*to*are*much*less*complex*tham*the*rules*they*end*up*
acquiring.
Claim:*There*must*be*some*innate*component*to*language.
Question:*What's*the*nature*of*this*innate*component?*An*all-purpose*learning*
mechanism?
If%Chomsky%is%
rights…%should%all%
languages%be%
identical?
Yes,*we*all*have*similar*innate*biases.*There*should*be*something*in*
language*that*reflects*that.*But*these*mechanisms*are*not*always*the*
same*between*cultures.*Biases*do*not*determine*every*aspect*of*the*
language*learned,*only*subparts.
Main*challenge*of*modern*linguistics:*study*different*languages*to*see*what*does*and*what*
does*not*vary.
Invention*of*Language
Creoles
Pidgin*–auxiliary*language*arising*among*speakers*of*mutually*unintelligible* language.
Creole*–language*acquired*by*children*raised*in*a*pidgin-speaking*environment.*A*creole*is*
thus*a*pidgin*that*has*acquired*native*speakers.
A*creole*differs*from*each*of*the*languages*that*face*rise*to*it.•
Diff*creoles*appear*to*have*many*feautures*in*common,*even*when*original*languages*
are*unrelated.
•
"Default*values"*of*Universal*Grammar.
►
Ex.*Jamaican*Creole*(Panois)
Ex.*Nicaraguan*Sign*Language.
First*gen:*created*language*of*signs*to*use*with*family*at*home.
Second*gen:*acquired*different*version*of*language*when*they*were*four.
Ex.*Spanish*speaker*vs*signer.
Speaker*using*his*hands,*developed*further*for*the*signing*people.
Separated*the*manner*of*motion*from*the*direction*of*motion.
Theories*for*Induction* and*Modularity*of*Mind
Universal*Grammar*is*general*intelligence.1.
UG*is*a*more*specific*mechanism,*possibly*language*specific.2.
To*prove*theories,*we*need*to*test:
Double*dissociation:*A*is*impaired*but*not*B*and*B*is*impaired*but*not*A.*There*is*
different*functional*architecture*of*these*two*sub*systems.
Broca's*Aphasia*(SLI)•
Language'as'an'Instinct
Monday,*October*9,*2017 10:31*AM
Document Summary
Descriptive grammar describe what native speakers of a language do when they speak their language. Prescriptive grammar categorizes certain language uses as acceptable or unacceptable according to a standard form of the language. You can say whatever you want and it will be correct linguistically but it will not be proper english. Reduce the vert be (up to deletion) rule. What is the longest sentence in english, there is none. The sounds will be similar and the meanings will be similar predictable. Human language = infinite use of finite means. Property of recursion the possibility of which in language has been argues to distinguish humans from all other animals. Konrad lorenz had ducks that followed him everywhere. They didn"t learn to follow him, they had an instinct. Researcher raised zebra finch in an environment where there were no other songs. It started singing anyway, but not familiar song. The offspring sung better than the original finch.
