Standard criticisms of unjustified grammaticality assignments in generative syntax are easily countered by reminders that grammaticality is a different notion from acceptability. In response, the criticisms are reformulated here in a way that interprets unjustified assignments as possible evidence of the predictive failure of current generative…

Language attracts everyone on earth. That is because we have and use language. Although there are some minority languages that have limited expressions such as the lack of writing systems in "Aynu itak" and "Shona" languages, they can effectively express their emotion and thought with their languages. In addition, every human being can acquire…

This paper reports progress in developing a computer model of language acquisition in the form of (1) a generative grammar that is (2) algorithmically learnable from realistic corpus data, (3) viable in its large-scale quantitative performance and (4) psychologically real. First, we describe new algorithmic methods for unsupervised learning of…

Riemer (2009) complains that a large number of sentences, despite appearing to be acceptable to many native speakers of English--including himself--are treated as ungrammatical in recent works that subscribe to the generative approach to (the English) language. In his opinion, this need not be considered "as evidence of an overly narrow…

Lardiere's keynote article adverts to a succession of "units of comparison" that have been employed in the study of cross-linguistic differences, including mid-twentieth-century structural patterns, generative grammar's parameters, and (within contemporary Minimalism) features. This commentary expands on the idea of units of cross-linguistic…

The production of verbal operants not previously taught is an important aspect of language productivity. For Skinner, new mands, tacts, and autoclitics result from the recombination of verbal operants. The relation between these mands, tacts, and autoclitics is what linguists call "analogy," a grammatical pattern that serves as a foundation on…

This paper argues against the view of intrusive [r] as a synchronically arbitrary insertion process. Instead, it is seen as a phonologically natural process, which can be modelled within the framework of Optimality Theory (OT). Insertion of [r] in phonologically restricted environments is a consequence of a more general theory of consonant…

In an attempt to explain first language attrition in emigrant populations, this paper investigates the explanatory power of a framework that has--until now--received little attention: the regression hypothesis (Jakobson, 1941). This hypothesis predicts that the order of attrition is the reverse of the order of acquisition. The regression…

A formal grammatical system is described in which the lexicon plays a central role. A distinguishing feature of this system is its departure from the priniciple of monocategorial lexical attachment, that is, it permits many-one translations by the lexical attachment component from syntactic categories to morphemes. In this system the underlying…

An annotated bibliography traces Chomsky's thought from 1951 through 1975. An attempt was made to include all of Chomsky's linguistic publications in English during that period. His political writings, except those concerning both politics and linguistics, were excluded. Listings are chronological by year. Titles are alphabetical within each year.…

On critique of an anthology which contains 12 papers by 11 authors. The critique is preceded by a lengthy theoretical framework for such terms as syntax and semantics, since the anthologized authors, who represent a diversity of specialities, use such simple terms in widely differing senses. (EJS)

A discussion of Roman Jakobson's view that grammatical meaning is distinct from lexical meaning is presented. (HP)

Homophony refers to sameness in sound but not in meaning. (DD)

Special issue devoted to the study of generative grammar in German-speaking countries. (VM)