Difference between revisions of "Linguistics"
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'''Linguistics''' is the scientific study of [[language]]. | '''Linguistics''' is the scientific study of [[language]]. | ||
| − | [[Noam Chomsky]] defined the central purpose of modern linguistics is to address the question: What is a possible human grammar? This is done by studying typologically diverse languages in order to arrive at principles common to all languages. These common principles are hypothesized to be innate in human beings as a matter of biological endowment. It is generally accepted in the field that the innateness of grammatical principles accounts for why a child acquires language exceptionally rapidly in the face of insufficient stimuli or reinforcement from his or her community.<ref>[http://informatics.indiana.edu/rocha/univgram.html] Universal Grammar</ref> | + | Linguist and far-left writer [[Noam Chomsky]] defined the central purpose of modern linguistics is to address the question: What is a possible human grammar? This is done by studying typologically diverse languages in order to arrive at principles common to all languages. These common principles are hypothesized to be innate in human beings as a matter of biological endowment. It is generally accepted in the field that the innateness of grammatical principles accounts for why a child acquires language exceptionally rapidly in the face of insufficient stimuli or reinforcement from his or her community.<ref>[http://informatics.indiana.edu/rocha/univgram.html] Universal Grammar</ref> |
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 12:20, April 19, 2010
Linguistics is the scientific study of language.
Linguist and far-left writer Noam Chomsky defined the central purpose of modern linguistics is to address the question: What is a possible human grammar? This is done by studying typologically diverse languages in order to arrive at principles common to all languages. These common principles are hypothesized to be innate in human beings as a matter of biological endowment. It is generally accepted in the field that the innateness of grammatical principles accounts for why a child acquires language exceptionally rapidly in the face of insufficient stimuli or reinforcement from his or her community.[1]