The Structural Design of Language (Paperback)

Thomas S. Stroik

ISBN 10: 1009342460 / ISBN 13: 9781009342469

Published by Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2022

About this Item

Paperback. Although there have been numerous investigations of biolinguistics within the Minimalist Program over the last ten years, many of which appeal to the importance of Turing's Thesis (that the structural design of systems must obey physical and mathematical laws), these studies have by and large ignored the question of the structural design of language. They have paid significant attention to identifying the components of language - settling on a lexicon, a computational system, a sensorimotor performance system and a conceptual-intentional performance system; however, they have not examined how these components must be inter-structured to meet thresholds of simplicity, generality, naturalness and beauty, as well as of biological and conceptual necessity. In this book, Stroik and Putnam take on Turing's challenge. They argue that the narrow syntax - the lexicon, the Numeration, and the computational system - must reside, for reasons of conceptual necessity, within the performance systems. As simple as this novel design is, it provides, as Stroik and Putnam demonstrate, radical new insights into what the human language faculty is, how language emerged in the species, and how language is acquired by children. One of the most important principles which underlies biolinguistics is that Turing's thesis must be satisfied: the structural design of biological systems obey physical and mathematical laws. This book proposes a structural design for human language which does exactly that, giving central importance to minimalist syntax. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781009342469

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Structural Design of Language (Paperback)
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
• Publication Date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1009342460
• ISBN 13: 9781009342469
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Although there have been numerous investigations of biolinguistics within the Minimalist Program over the last ten years, many of which appeal to the importance of Turing’s Thesis (that the structural design of systems must obey physical and mathematical laws), these studies have by and large ignored the question of the structural design of language. They have paid significant attention to identifying the components of language – settling on a lexicon, a computational system, a sensorimotor performance system, and a conceptual-intentional performance system; however, they have not examined how these components must be inter-structured to meet thresholds of simplicity, generality, naturalness, and beauty, as well as of biological and conceptual necessity. In this book, Stroik and Putnam take on Turing’s challenge. They argue that the narrow syntax – the lexicon, the Numeration, and the computational system – must reside, for reasons of conceptual necessity, within the performance systems. As simple as this novel design is, it provides, as Stroik and Putnam demonstrate, radical new insights into what the human language faculty is, how language emerged in the species, and how language is acquired by children.

About the Authors

Thomas S. Stroik is Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. His previous publications include Locality in Minimalist Syntax (2009).

Michael T. Putnam is Assistant Professor of German and Linguistics at Pennsylvania State University. He is the author of Scrambling and the Survive Principle (2007) and has edited three books including Exploring Crash-Proof Grammars (2010).