Defining Language Universals

Author : Bianca Stärk
Publisher : GRIN Verlag
Page : 57 pages
File Size : 41,7 Mb
Release : 2010
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 9783640673186

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Defining Language Universals by Bianca Stärk Pdf

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2004 im Fachbereich Anglistik - Linguistik, Note: 2,8, Universit t zu K ln (Anglistisches Institut), Veranstaltung: Morphosyntax English - German, 5 Quellen im Literaturverzeichnis, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: Language is something uniquely human. Bertrand Russell stated in 1948 that "A dog cannot relate his autobiography; however eloquently he may bark, he cannot tell you that his parents were honest though poor" (Whaley 1997: 4). Language ist not only unique to humans and diverse but there are also commonalities between languages. About five thousand languages are spoken in the world today but there still is a basic unity that undelies their diversities. Many of the world's languages show similar principles. An example of such a similaritiy is word order. In some languages such as English, French and Italian the word order is subject, verb and object. This is the so called SOV order. Besides similarities like this, there also exist features between some languages, which are common to all human languages in the world and are called language universals. These language universals classify entire languages into categories which are then based on shared properties. Language universals are examined within the field of typology. Typology has the task of examining cross-linguistic patterns. This means that "all typological research is based on comparisons between languages" (Whaley 1997: 7). Through comparing different languages with each other, one necessarily comes into contact with universals, which hold true for a group of languages or even for all languages. This is how language universals are placed within the field of typology.

Author : Morten H. Christiansen,Christopher Collins,Shimon Edelman
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 312 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2009-03-17
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9780190294113

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Language Universals by Morten H. Christiansen,Christopher Collins,Shimon Edelman Pdf

Languages differ from one another in bewildering and seemingly arbitrary ways. For example, in English, the verb precedes the direct object ('understand the proof'), but in Japanese, the direct object comes first. In some languages, such as Mohawk, it is not even possible to establish a basic word order. Nonetheless, languages do share certain regularities in how they are structured and used. The exact nature and extent of these "language universals" has been the focus of much research and is one of the central explanatory goals in the language sciences. During the past 50 years, there has been tremendous progress, a few major conceptual revolutions, and even the emergence of entirely new fields. The wealth of findings and theories offered by the various language-science disciplines has made it more important than ever to work toward an integrated understanding of the nature of human language universals. This book is the first to examine language universals from a cross-disciplinary perspective. It provides new insights into long standing questions such as: What exactly defines the human capacity for language? Are there universal properties of human languages and, if so, what are they? Can all language universals be explained in the same way, or do some universals require different kinds of explanations from others? Language Universals is unique in starting with the assumption that the best way to approach these and related questions is through a dialogue between a wide range of disciplines, including linguistics, cognitive neuroscience, philosophy, computer science and biology.

Author : Jürgen Handke, Peter Franke
Publisher : Waxmann Verlag
Page : 328 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2006
Category : Internet in education
ISBN : 9783830966890

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The Virtual Linguistics Campus by Jürgen Handke, Peter Franke Pdf

Author : Brian Butterworth,Bernard Comrie,Östen Dahl
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Page : 300 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2014-07-24
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9783110868555

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Explanations for Language Universals by Brian Butterworth,Bernard Comrie,Östen Dahl Pdf

Author : Bernard Comrie
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 286 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 1989-07-15
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 0226114333

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Language Universals and Linguistic Typology by Bernard Comrie Pdf

Here, Comrie (linguistics, U. of Southern Cal.) is particularly concerned with syntactico-semantic universals, devoting chapters to word order, case marking, relative clauses, and causative constructions. This second edition takes full account of new research into generative grammatical theory. Acidic paper. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Author : Sergio Scalise,Elisabetta Magni,Antonietta Bisetto
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 302 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2008-10-11
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9781402088254

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Universals of Language Today by Sergio Scalise,Elisabetta Magni,Antonietta Bisetto Pdf

This book collects the contributions presented at the international congress held at the University of Bologna in January 2007, where leading scholars of different persuasions and interests offered an up-to-date overview of the current status of the research on linguistic universals. The papers that make up the volume deal with both theoretical and empirical issues, and range over various domains, covering not only morphology and syntax, which were the major focus of Greenberg’s seminal work, but also phonology and semantics, as well as diachrony and second language acquisition. Diverse perspectives illustrate and discuss a huge number of phenomena from a wide variety of languages, not only exploring the way research on universals - tersects with different subareas of linguistics, but also contributing to the ongoing debate between functional and formal approaches to explaining the universals of language. This stimulating reading for scientists, researchers and postgraduate students in linguistics shows how different, but not irreconcilable, modes of explanation can complement each other, both offering fresh insights into the investigation of unity and diversity in languages, and pointing to exciting areas for future research. • A fresh and up-to-date survey of the present state of research on Universals of Language in an international context, with original contributions from leading specialists in the eld. • First-hand accounts of substantive ndings and theoretical observations in diff- ent subareas of linguistics. • Huge number of linguistic phenomena and data from diffferent languages a- lyzed and discussed in detail.

Author : William Croft
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 372 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2002-11-21
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 0521004993

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Typology and Universals by William Croft Pdf

A thorough rewriting to reflect advances in typology and universals in the past decade.

Author : Martin Haspelmath,Ekkehard König,Wulf Oesterreicher,Wolfgang Raible
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter
Page : 1013 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2008-07-14
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9783110194265

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Language Typology and Language Universals 2.Teilband by Martin Haspelmath,Ekkehard König,Wulf Oesterreicher,Wolfgang Raible Pdf

This handbook provides a comprehensive and thorough survey of our current insights into the diversity and unity found across the 6000 languages of this planet. The 125 articles include inter alia chapters on the patterns and limits of variation manifested by analogous structures, constructions and linguistic devices across languages (e.g. word order, tense and aspect, inflection, color terms and syllable structure). Other chapters cover the history, methodology and the theory of typology, as well as the relationship between language typology and other disciplines. The authors of the individual sections and chapters are for the most part internationally known experts on the relevant topics. The vast majority of the articles are written in English, some in French or German. The handbook is not only intended for the expert in the fields of typology and language universals, but for all of those interested in linguistics. It is specifically addressed to all those who specialize in individual languages, providing basic orientation for their analysis and placing each language within the space of what is possible and common in the languages of the world.

Author : Hansjakob Seiler
Publisher : Gunter Narr Verlag
Page : 220 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2000
Category : Linguistic universals
ISBN : 3823347802

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Language Universals Research by Hansjakob Seiler Pdf

Author : Joseph Harold Greenberg
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter
Page : 112 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2005
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 3110172844

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Language Universals by Joseph Harold Greenberg Pdf

Greenberg's Language Universals is typical of his typological-theoretical work in its stunning originality. Starting out from the observations underlying Praguian markedness, Greenberg contributes a mass of new data and generalizations and lays the foundations for a post-structuralist, usage-based theory of grammatical asymmetries. This work will continue to be influential for many years to come.

Author : Wendy Sandler,Diane Carolyn Lillo-Martin
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 580 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2006-02-02
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 0521483956

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Sign Language and Linguistic Universals by Wendy Sandler,Diane Carolyn Lillo-Martin Pdf

Sign languages are of great interest to linguists, because while they are the product of the same brain, their physical transmission differs greatly from that of spoken languages. In this pioneering and original study, Wendy Sandler and Diane Lillo-Martin compare sign languages with spoken languages, in order to seek the universal properties they share. Drawing on general linguistic theory, they describe and analyze sign language structure, showing linguistic universals in the phonology, morphology, and syntax of sign language, while also revealing non-universal aspects of its structure that must be attributed to its physical transmission system. No prior background in sign language linguistics is assumed, and numerous pictures are provided to make descriptions of signs and facial expressions accessible to readers. Engaging and informative, Sign Language and Linguistic Universals will be invaluable to linguists, psychologists, and all those interested in sign languages, linguistic theory and the universal properties of human languages.

Author : Simon Kirby
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 178 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 1999-04-22
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9780191583520

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Function, Selection, and Innateness by Simon Kirby Pdf

This book explores issues at the core of modern linguistics and cognitive science. Why are all languages similar in some ways and in others utterly different? Why do languages change and change variably? How did the human capacity for language evolve, and how far did it do so as an innate ability? Simon Kirby looks at these questions from a broad perspective, arguing that they can (indeed must) be studied together. The author begins by examining how far the universal properties of language may be explained by examining the way it is used, and how far by the way it is structured. He then considers what insights may be gained by combining functional and formal approaches. In doing so he develops a way of treating language as an adaptive system, in which its communicative and formal roles are both crucial and complementary. In order to test the effectiveness of competing theories and explanations, Simon Kirby develops computational models to show what universals emerge given a particular theory of language use or acquisition. He presents here both the methodology and the results. Function, Selection, and Innateness is important for its argument, its methodology, and its conclusions. It is a powerful demonstration of the value of looking at language as an adaptive system and goes to the heart of current debates on the evolution and nature of language.

Author : D. Zaefferer
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Page : 252 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2019-10-21
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9783110870527

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Semantic Universals and Universal Semantics by D. Zaefferer Pdf

No detailed description available for "Semantic Universals and Universal Semantics".

Author : Morten H. Christiansen,Christopher T. Collins,Shimon Edelman
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 294 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2009
Category : Linguistic universals
ISBN : 0199866953

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Language Universals by Morten H. Christiansen,Christopher T. Collins,Shimon Edelman Pdf

Examining language universals from a cross-disciplinary perspective, this book provides insights into questions such as: What exactly defines the human capacity for language? Are there universal properties of human languages and, if so, what are they? Can all language universals be explained in the same way?

Author : Morten H. Christiansen,Christopher Collins,Shimon Edelman
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 312 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2009-03-17
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 0195305434

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Language Universals by Morten H. Christiansen,Christopher Collins,Shimon Edelman Pdf

Languages differ from one another in bewildering and seemingly arbitrary ways. For example, in English, the verb precedes the direct object ('understand the proof'), but in Japanese, the direct object comes first. In some languages, such as Mohawk, it is not even possible to establish a basic word order. Nonetheless, languages do share certain regularities in how they are structured and used. The exact nature and extent of these "language universals" has been the focus of much research and is one of the central explanatory goals in the language sciences.During the past 50 years, there has been tremendous progress, a few major conceptual revolutions, and even the emergence of entirely new fields. The wealth of findings and theories offered by the various language-science disciplines has made it more important than ever to work toward an integrated understanding of the nature of human language universals. This book is the first to examine language universals from a cross-disciplinary perspective. It provides new insights into long standing questions such as: What exactly defines the human capacity for language? Are there universal properties of human languages and, if so, what are they? Can all language universals be explained in the same way, or do some universals require different kinds of explanations from others? Language Universals is unique in starting with the assumption that the best way to approach these and related questions is through a dialogue between a wide range of disciplines, including linguistics, cognitive neuroscience, philosophy, computer science and biology.