LING 1010 EXAM 2 QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED
VERIFIED CORRECT ANSWERS
Get rid of misconceptions about sign languages
Sign languages are full-blown human languages with all the relevant grammatical properties
and the same use as communicative systems.
Sign languages and spoken languages make use of completely different production and
perception 'channels'. Despite that, both types of languages are completely parallel in
Grammatical structure, Acquisition Stages and BRAIN REGIONS THAT ARE USED
The relationship between Linguistic Universals (LU) and Innateness Hypothesis (IH)
LU deliver a potential argument for the innateness hypothesis.
(Because if all languages have things in common, here is possible that the commons are due to
IH)
Diversity and Unity
Languages can differ in all aspects of grammar (Phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics)
- But all languages seem to share certain properties
Linguistic Universal
Shared Properties are called LU
How to narrow down the linguistic universal to language-unique universal
Language-unique universal can proof the existence of language.
- We need to proof the universals are only specific for language
- We need to proof there is no other alternative explanation
Explain the logical status of a valid language (-unique) universal
,- A explanation can only be valid if there is no other alternative explanation.
-If X is innate it must be present in all language(=Valid)
-If X is present in all language it must be innate (=Invalid)
Biological explanations for language-unique universals
-Neural Architecture: All languages are implemented in the same brain design.
-Other biological constraints: Speech/hearing, Apparatus, Sensory System, Motoric System.
Cognitive explanations for language-unique universals
Principles of Communication/Sign system: Be clear, Be short, Be relevant, Least effort etc.
Historical explanations for language-unique universals
-Mono-genesis: All languages stem from one mother language
-Evolution:All evolved things have hierarchical structure.
Functional explanations
alternative explanations
What might be language-unique universals?
-The design of the grammar: the model of grammar(with a lexicon, merge, and six checking
components)
-The design of each component (with basic units, combinations constraints and repair rules)
How linguists find universals
By studying as many languages as possible
Why a proposed universal is always a hypothesis, never a certainty.
We can never say we study ALL language
Why we can't study all language?
We lose languages fast. Many languages are ENDANGERED or on the verge of EXTINCTION.
, Three logical types of universals
-Absolute: X is (un)TRUE of all language
-Implicational(Correlations): If a language has property X it will also have property Y (Or: it
cannot also have property Y)
-Disjunctive: Each language has either X or Y [PARAMETER]
Absolute universals Examples
- All languages have morphemes, words, phrases and
sentences
- All languages have nouns and verbs and several other word
categories
- All languages have hierarchical structure in complex words
and in sentences
Implication universal Example
•If a language has the vowel
phonemes /e/ and /o/, it will also
have /i/ and /o/
•If a language has a dual ending (boya
'two boys') it also has a plural
•If a language has a superlative it
also has a comparative
Disjunctive universal Example
•This often concerns 'two
possibilities'
•E.g. In phrase structure (VP): the
verb either precedes the object (VO)
or it follows it (OV)
•Place word stress at the beginning
VERIFIED CORRECT ANSWERS
Get rid of misconceptions about sign languages
Sign languages are full-blown human languages with all the relevant grammatical properties
and the same use as communicative systems.
Sign languages and spoken languages make use of completely different production and
perception 'channels'. Despite that, both types of languages are completely parallel in
Grammatical structure, Acquisition Stages and BRAIN REGIONS THAT ARE USED
The relationship between Linguistic Universals (LU) and Innateness Hypothesis (IH)
LU deliver a potential argument for the innateness hypothesis.
(Because if all languages have things in common, here is possible that the commons are due to
IH)
Diversity and Unity
Languages can differ in all aspects of grammar (Phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics)
- But all languages seem to share certain properties
Linguistic Universal
Shared Properties are called LU
How to narrow down the linguistic universal to language-unique universal
Language-unique universal can proof the existence of language.
- We need to proof the universals are only specific for language
- We need to proof there is no other alternative explanation
Explain the logical status of a valid language (-unique) universal
,- A explanation can only be valid if there is no other alternative explanation.
-If X is innate it must be present in all language(=Valid)
-If X is present in all language it must be innate (=Invalid)
Biological explanations for language-unique universals
-Neural Architecture: All languages are implemented in the same brain design.
-Other biological constraints: Speech/hearing, Apparatus, Sensory System, Motoric System.
Cognitive explanations for language-unique universals
Principles of Communication/Sign system: Be clear, Be short, Be relevant, Least effort etc.
Historical explanations for language-unique universals
-Mono-genesis: All languages stem from one mother language
-Evolution:All evolved things have hierarchical structure.
Functional explanations
alternative explanations
What might be language-unique universals?
-The design of the grammar: the model of grammar(with a lexicon, merge, and six checking
components)
-The design of each component (with basic units, combinations constraints and repair rules)
How linguists find universals
By studying as many languages as possible
Why a proposed universal is always a hypothesis, never a certainty.
We can never say we study ALL language
Why we can't study all language?
We lose languages fast. Many languages are ENDANGERED or on the verge of EXTINCTION.
, Three logical types of universals
-Absolute: X is (un)TRUE of all language
-Implicational(Correlations): If a language has property X it will also have property Y (Or: it
cannot also have property Y)
-Disjunctive: Each language has either X or Y [PARAMETER]
Absolute universals Examples
- All languages have morphemes, words, phrases and
sentences
- All languages have nouns and verbs and several other word
categories
- All languages have hierarchical structure in complex words
and in sentences
Implication universal Example
•If a language has the vowel
phonemes /e/ and /o/, it will also
have /i/ and /o/
•If a language has a dual ending (boya
'two boys') it also has a plural
•If a language has a superlative it
also has a comparative
Disjunctive universal Example
•This often concerns 'two
possibilities'
•E.g. In phrase structure (VP): the
verb either precedes the object (VO)
or it follows it (OV)
•Place word stress at the beginning
