language, mind, and brain by ewa dabrowska chapter 7: words
TRANSCRIPT
Language, Mind, and Brainby Ewa Dabrowska
Chapter 7: Words
UG again
• Q: What is the innateness position on the lexicon?
UG again
• Q: What is the innateness position on the lexicon?
• A: It presumes that the lexicon is not learned, that all the concepts are there and it is just a matter of learning what sounds to associate to what concepts.
• Q: What problems are there with this?
UG again
• Q: What is the innateness position on the lexicon?
• A: It presumes that the lexicon is not learned, that all the concepts are there and it is just a matter of learning what sounds to associate to what concepts.
• Q: What problems are there with this?• A: Lots of words can’t be innate, and where are
they on the genome…? I would add that the meanings are not the same in all lexicons…
1. The semantics of locative terms
• Locative terms such as in, on, behind are not universal, they are subject to conventional construal, polysemy, and cross-linguistic variation.
1.1 Conventional construal
• The distinctions between in, on, through and similar spatial terms are language-specific, cf. Cora uh- ‘inside slope’ vs. ah- ‘outside slope’
1.2 Polysemy
• The lexicon can’t be infinite, so many words have multiple meanings, and the range of meanings is language-specific, as we see in over.
1.3 Cross-linguistic variation
• Languages have lots of different ways of encoding information about spatial relationships (verbs, prepositions, etc.)
• Different languages can focus on different parts of a spatial relationship (position of landmark vs. shape of landmark), or use relative vs. absolute systems of location
• When linguists postulate “semantic features”, they have an English bias.
2.1 The acquisition of locative terms
• What happens when children acquire languages with radically different systems for encoding location?– We shall look at:
• Walpiri• Tzotzil• Japanese• Korean
Four languages
• Walpiri – no words corresponding to in, on, under, and no evidence that children are even looking for such meanings
• Tzotzil – uses an absolute system (E vs. W, based on tilt of land), and children acquire it early and well
• Japanese – verbs are acquired earlier than particles, despite the fact that particles are available and correspond to supposed “universals”
• Korean – very different system, and children follow the language-specific patterns from the very beginning, there is no evidence of use of pre-linguistic concepts
3. Innate structures?
• Are there innate structures? If so, are we dealing with semantic primitives or perceptual primitives?
3.1 Semantic primitives
• Q: What’s wrong with this approach?
3.1 Semantic primitives
• Q: What’s wrong with this approach?• A: Very few words can really be
decomposed into primitives; we don’t know how speakers translate perception into primitives; there is no evidence of psychological reality – I’d add that advocates of semantic primitives can’t agree on a list and their lists seem to grow…
4. Lexical learning & 5. Conclusion
• It seems that the constraints are perceptual, and different languages teach the learner to attend to different things available to perception.
• Children must do sophisticated detective work, and must learn to project distinctions that are not given in the input.
• This capacity can be applied to grammar too.