Generativity, comparative grammar, and the syntax vs. the lexicon debates
Within linguistic theory, the division of labour between syntax and the lexicon has been a central issue for debate among different architectures of grammar, roughly corresponding to the distinction between memorization and rule governed aspects of language competence. In this article, I give some...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Septentrio Academic Publishing
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Nordlyd: Tromsø University Working Papers on Language & Linguistics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/nordlyd/article/view/7981 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1846099513346883584 |
|---|---|
| author | Gillian Catriona Ramchand |
| author_facet | Gillian Catriona Ramchand |
| author_sort | Gillian Catriona Ramchand |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Within linguistic theory, the division of labour between syntax and the lexicon has been a central issue for debate among different architectures of grammar, roughly corresponding to the distinction between memorization and rule governed aspects of language competence. In this article, I give some historical context for these debates, concluding that differences in architectural assumptions are only resolvable ultimately if we are willing to allow these implementational decisions to have consequences for (and make predictions concerning) human behaviours or mental processes. I proceed then to assess the psycholinguistic evidence concerning the lexicon and processing from the cognitive science literature, and offer a reassessment of what this means for the linguistic debates that have dominated discussions of the lexicon to this date. My conclusion will be that some of the comfortable dichotomies often relied on in these discussions are untenable and that some of the classical positions need to be reevaluated.
|
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a324ce4ea14a42639007d88aec9567d1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1503-8599 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Septentrio Academic Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nordlyd: Tromsø University Working Papers on Language & Linguistics |
| spelling | doaj-art-a324ce4ea14a42639007d88aec9567d12024-12-31T12:21:32ZengSeptentrio Academic PublishingNordlyd: Tromsø University Working Papers on Language & Linguistics1503-85992024-12-0148110.7557/12.7981Generativity, comparative grammar, and the syntax vs. the lexicon debatesGillian Catriona Ramchand0UiT The Arctic University of Norway Within linguistic theory, the division of labour between syntax and the lexicon has been a central issue for debate among different architectures of grammar, roughly corresponding to the distinction between memorization and rule governed aspects of language competence. In this article, I give some historical context for these debates, concluding that differences in architectural assumptions are only resolvable ultimately if we are willing to allow these implementational decisions to have consequences for (and make predictions concerning) human behaviours or mental processes. I proceed then to assess the psycholinguistic evidence concerning the lexicon and processing from the cognitive science literature, and offer a reassessment of what this means for the linguistic debates that have dominated discussions of the lexicon to this date. My conclusion will be that some of the comfortable dichotomies often relied on in these discussions are untenable and that some of the classical positions need to be reevaluated. https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/nordlyd/article/view/7981lexicalismlexicalist hypothesiswords and rulesneurolinguistics |
| spellingShingle | Gillian Catriona Ramchand Generativity, comparative grammar, and the syntax vs. the lexicon debates Nordlyd: Tromsø University Working Papers on Language & Linguistics lexicalism lexicalist hypothesis words and rules neurolinguistics |
| title | Generativity, comparative grammar, and the syntax vs. the lexicon debates |
| title_full | Generativity, comparative grammar, and the syntax vs. the lexicon debates |
| title_fullStr | Generativity, comparative grammar, and the syntax vs. the lexicon debates |
| title_full_unstemmed | Generativity, comparative grammar, and the syntax vs. the lexicon debates |
| title_short | Generativity, comparative grammar, and the syntax vs. the lexicon debates |
| title_sort | generativity comparative grammar and the syntax vs the lexicon debates |
| topic | lexicalism lexicalist hypothesis words and rules neurolinguistics |
| url | https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/nordlyd/article/view/7981 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gilliancatrionaramchand generativitycomparativegrammarandthesyntaxvsthelexicondebates |