Re:Brazil's Pirahã Tribe: Living Without Numbers or Time (2006)
by WaxProlix on Friday December 19, 2014 @04:22PM
(#8774604)
That's sort of the problem with UG, though - it's either so strong a claim as to be almost mystical claims about "the mind-brain" or some such nonsense - and therefore nigh-irrefutable - or so weak as to be basically a truism - "whatever languages all have in common, that's UG!"
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Re:Brazil's Pirahã Tribe: Living Without Numbers or Time (2006)
by meepmorp on Friday December 19, 2014 @05:24PM
(#8774911)
Am I correct in assuming you've not actually read any of Chomsky's syntatic work?
Re:Brazil's Pirahã Tribe: Living Without Numbers or Time (2006)
by WaxProlix on Friday December 19, 2014 @07:36PM
(#8775381)
No, I've read quite a bit of it, though mostly pre-1990.
Re:Brazil's Pirahã Tribe: Living Without Numbers or Time (2006)
by meepmorp on Friday December 19, 2014 @08:48PM
(#8775563)
Ok, it just doesn't seem like you've got a good handle on what UG is.
Re:Brazil's Pirahã Tribe: Living Without Numbers or Time (2006)
by WaxProlix on Friday December 19, 2014 @08:59PM
(#8775591)
UG is different to different people, and has been different in different ages. Someone into OT might conceive of universal constraints or rankings as being 'UG', whereas x bar era sybtacticians etc might have another view. Feel free to engage in a discussion if you feel like it, but if not thanks anyway - your criticism, such as it is, is noted. I'll try and make time to catch up on some more reading.