Best For Magister- Preparation Linguistics-Structuralism Chomsky

8/6/2019 Best For Magister- Preparation Linguistics-Structuralism Chomsky

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Linguistic Theory:

Structuralism and Generative Grammar from de Saussure via Bloomfield

to ChomskyDafydd Gibbon

M.A. British And American StudiesFoundation Module 1.1

Winter Semester 2007/2008



Ferdinand de Saussure



SUMMARY



Winter Semester 2007/2008 D. Gibbon: Lin uistic Theor MA 4

Diachronic models

● Diachronic (‘through time’) models, typically: – tree model:

● (internal) language development - “genetic” relationships

– cross-linking model:● (external) language contact - “borrowing”, “areal” relationships

Indo-European

Proto-Germanic

Old English

Middle English

Modern English

Nordic,Saxon

Latin,Celtic

unknown

Norman French

Many languages

Exercise: In terms of history and contact findetymologies of words

such as● brother ● three● soap● clock●

mission


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The classic case:



From diachronic to synchronic models

● Diachronic (“through time”) models: – language change

● internal development● contact, code-switching, borrowing, areal phenomena

●

Synchronic (“with time”) models: – models of a language at a particular point in time● specific components of the language● the whole language

– sketch grammars (e.g. in the front matter of dictionaries) – comprehensive grammars

● Traditional descriptive and pedagogic grammars aresynchronic models.



Development of synchronic models

● Influence of logicians: – Gottlieb Frege

● fourth quarter of 19th century● development of formal grammar and semantics for logic (logical

expressions and logical inference)

– Bertrand Russell● first decade of 20th century)● further development of formal grammar and semantics for logic

● Linguistics – Ferdinand de Saussure:

● second decade of 20th century● extension of descriptions of specific development stages

– Most linguists later in the 20th and 21st centuries● Bloomfield● Chomsky● ...



Ferdinand de Saussure

● Geneva School: from diachronic to synchronic models● Exercise:

– write a short, professionally structured biography of Ferdinandde Saussure

– use internet sources (properly linked and/or cited) – hint: check also “Indo-European laryngeals”



Tenets of de Saussure’s approach

● Structuralism – Structure of the sign:

● paradigmatic (“associative”) relations● syntagmatic relations

– Dualistic sign relations● Arbitrariness of the sign● Signified-signifier semiotic relation

– “concept” – “image acoustique”

● Speech community – Communication circuit – Collective subconscious of speech

community● Different domains of abstraction:

– “langue”, language

– “parole”, speech

Exercise: – make a glossary for

your portfolio, withdefinitions of these

terms and, whererelevant, examples.



De Saussure’s dualist distinctions:

● langue vs. parole,● synchronic vs. diachronic,● signifiant (signifier) vs. signifié (signified),● form vs. substance,●

arbitrary (Peirce: symbol) vs. motivated (Peirce: icon,index)

● syntagmatic vs. associative (~ paradigmatic)



Dualistic semiotic model



Circuit model of communication



Langue – Parole: search for definitions

● Langue:

● Parole:




Leonard Bloomfield




Chicago School: American Descriptivism

● Professor of linguistics in Chicago● Influential book: Language (1933)● extensive work on N.Am Indian languages● Intellectual influences:

–

influenced by:● European linguistics (studied linguistics in Europe around 1920) – de Saussure – British semantics & pragmatics in the 1920s (Ogden & Richards;

Malinowski)● the epistemological theory of empiricism

– particularly: logical positivsm● the psychological theory of behaviorism

– influences on:● American structuralist school from 1940s until today● examples: Harris, Hockett, Pike, Trager & Smith, ...●

Harris was Chomsky’s doctoral supervisor




Tasks:

● Research: epistemology – scientism: scientific rigour – empiricism – logical positivismContrast this with – the rationalism of de Saussure

● Psychology: – behaviorism – Contrast this with – de Saussure’s conceptualism of the “collective subconscious”

● Linguistics: – investigate the concept of “distribution” and “distributionalism”

● “a phoneme is a set of allophones in complementary distributionor free variation”

● “a morpheme is a set of allomorphs in complementary distribution

or free variation”




Noam Chomsky




Noam Chomsky

● Noam Chomsky is without doubt the most well-known(and controversial) linguist of the 20th century – in linguistics – outside linguistics

●

Chomsky has strongly influenced developments in – linguistics – computer science – psychology – philosophy – politics




Noam Chomsky

● Linguistics: – Generative Grammar

● Transformational Grammar (different versions)● Lexicalist Transformational Grammar ● X-bar Theory● Government and Binding Theory● Principles and Parameters Theory● Minimalist Syntax● Generative Phonology

– Main contributions to● syntax● phonology

– His students have contributed to many other areas




Noam Chomsky

● Intellectual ancestry:Geneva school:Ferdinand de Saussure

Chicago School:Leonard Bloomfield

Prague School:Roman Jakobson

Zellig Harris

Morris Halle

Noam Chomsky

Vienna School:Rudolf Carnap

Karl Popper Nikolai Trubetzkoy




Research tasks

● Find brief characterisations of the following terms terms: – Generative Grammar:

● Transformational Grammar (different versions)● Lexicalist Transformational Grammar ● X-bar Theory● Government and Binding Theory● Principles and Parameters Theory● Minimalist Syntax● Generative Phonology

– Deep Structure and Surface Structure – Phonetic interpretation and semantic interpretation – Transformation – Observational, descriptive and explanatory adequacy – Language Acquisition Device

Best For Magister- Preparation Linguistics-Structuralism Chomsky

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