Innate grammar

[sleipnir214]

It appears that we all have an innate understanding of basic grammar.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=1645419

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[SantaMufasa]

When my Grammar was an inmate after she was convicted.

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[Zathras]

Nothing really new there. Noam Chomsky discussed "deep structure" of grammar years ago.

 

[sleipnir214]

Didn't Chomsky largely abandon deep structure?



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[CajunCenturion]

It is my understanding that Chomsky didn't not abandon deep structures, at least not as he defined them. What has happened is that other disciplines, such as music, have subsequently adopted the notion of a deep structures, and as they are applied, it's the understanding of deep structure that has changed.

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[sleipnir214]

That could be.

But did Chomsky do more than hypothesize in areas on which the article reports obervations?



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[CajunCenturion]

Oh yes. Chomsky did considerable work in transformational grammars, which is essence is trying to establish a mapping from the underlying deep structures to the surface structures of everyday language. His hope was to establish mappings from a single deep structure, or universal grammar, into all the various everyday languages and grammars, thus linking all language at some very deep and basic level. His hope was that any sentence, whether it be in English, Chinese, or what have you, could be derived from a basic underlying universal grammar, common to all of humanity. I really don't know how far he got in building that mapping.

That being said, the notion of an innate grammar didn't begin with Chomsky. There is evidence of that type of thinking in some of the Greek philosphers, but off the top of my head, I can't remember anyone specifically.

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[CajunCenturion]

I must say that I really appreciate the last paragraph.

All of this would suggest that humans are endowed with some rather remarkable abilities. But before we get carried away with our uniqueness, it's worth noting that the Duke scientists did the same experiment earlier with monkeys. And they got the same result.

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[PaulTEG]

How grammar and 'cognitive numeracy' are related currently escapes me ... but on the monkeys/infant front ... more inputs require more attention to ascertain relevant information surely. The same would be true of any species that was presented with an input in their environment which could affect where their next meal was coming from.

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[GwydionM]

Very different, are actual human grammers



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An old man who lives in the UK

 

[CajunCenturion]

==> Very different, are actual human grammers[sic]

Very different from what?

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[PaulTEG]

other stuff ;-)

Paul
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