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1
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2
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- “Each language constitutes a certain model of the universe, a semiotic
system of understanding the world, and if we have 4,000 different ways
to describe the world, this makes us rich. We should be concerned about preserving
languages just as we are about ecology.”
-- V.V. Ivanov, Reconstructing the Past
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3
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- The Stoics: phoneme, morpheme, word
- Kabbalists: language = mind of God
- Neogrammarians (took a “physics” approach to Diachronic Linguistics)
- Saussure: Language; Synchronic Linguistics
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4
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- The Stoics, and in a very loose way, the kabbalists and neogrammarians
concentrated their efforts on sounds, words, writing, listening, and
reading language.
- According to Saussure, linguistics should focus on langue rather than parole.
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5
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- Saussurian and thus modern linguistics focuses on the underlying
system/structure that facilitates language.
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6
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- Ars Combinatoria: became a template for generative (transformational)
grammar
- In both systems a limited number of possibilities can be combined to
produce a large # of possibilities.
The difference is that Lull’s system produced 729 true
propositions, whereas Chomsky’s could theoretically produce every
possible linguistic expression – an infinite # of propositions.
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7
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- Universal Signs (i.e. Chinese): real characters, not necessarily
pictographic.
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8
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- Predicate Calculus: system of blind thought used to determine truth in
things one doesn’t understand.
Chomsky’s generative grammar can be reduced to predicate
calculus.
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9
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- Binary Logic: 1 (true), 0 (false); everything can be solved according to
this system; credited to Boole.
- Leibniz found a Chinese text: 1 Ching & referred it to 1 or 0. It is a textual misinterpretation, but
he discovered binary logic.
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10
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- Descartes was a French philosopher who emphasized reason. Leibniz came
after.
- Chomsky acknowledges an intellectual debt to Descartes.
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11
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- Generativism: language structure (deep structure) is intrinsic
- Parallel Distributed Processing: language is learned
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12
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- Philology: the branch of knowledge that deals with the structure,
historical development, and relationships of a language or languages.
- Linguistics: the scientific study of language and its structure,
including the study of grammar, syntax, and phonetics.
- These definitions from the OED.
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13
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- Abstract Due: February 5th
- 1st Draft Due: March 14th
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Notes