Summary
"Words and Rules" argues that the human language faculty operates through two distinct cognitive mechanisms: a system of symbolic representation, termed "words," and a system of grammatical operations, termed "rules." This duality explains how we generate novel utterances and understand the irregularities found in language. The book posits that these two systems interact, leading to phenomena like verb-form regularization and the creation of new words, and offers an account of how languages evolve and acquire their characteristic idiosyncrasies.
The central ideas of "Words and Rules" concern the cognitive architecture underlying language production and acquisition. The book presents a dual-system model explaining the coexistence of regular and irregular forms in language. A reader will understand how the interplay between symbolic representation (words) and grammatical computation (rules) accounts for the vast creativity and sometimes puzzling inconsistencies observed in human language, and how these processes drive linguistic change.
Key concepts
- Words — A system of symbolic representation in language.
- Rules — A system of grammatical operations in language.
- Regularization — The process by which irregular forms are replaced by regular ones.
- Linguistic change — The evolution of languages over time due to the interaction of words and rules.
From the book
Description: How does language work, and how do we learn to speak? Why do languages change over time, and why do they have so many quirks and irregularities? In this book, the profound mysteries of language are explored.