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Monkey morpho-syntax and merge-based systems
Theoretical Linguistics ( IF 1.455 ) Pub Date : 2016-01-01 , DOI: 10.1515/tl-2016-0006
Luigi Rizzi

1. The target article makes a convincing case for the use of the sophisticated analytic tools developed in formal linguistics for the scientific study of monkey languages, with clear implications for the study of other animal communication systems. While the term “language” is construed very broadly, in a way reminiscent of the linguistic notion of e-language (a set of well-formed sentences), the focus really is on (monkey) i-language, the cognitive capacities underlying the call systems of the species under investigation. In this brief commentary, I will focus on some (morpho-)syntactic aspects of the endeavor. The paper offers various kinds of evidence that at least rudimentary forms of sign combinations are found in monkey languages. Whether or not such forms of combinations can be seen as precursors of the massive combinatorial character of human language is left as a completely open question. The very cautious attitude adopted in the target paper seems to be well justified by the complexity of the issue and by the paucity of relevant evidence; at the same time, the paper forcefully argues for the use of tools developed for the study of human language syntax to highlight properties of monkey call systems. In the spirit of this approach, taking “merge” as the fundamental combinatorial principle operative in human languages, I would like to illustrate a typology of applications of merge based on the nature of the linguistic objects that are combined, and will try to use this typology as an interpretive grid to tease apart combinatorial forms which seem to be accessible to monkey languages, and those which are not. After an overview of the findings on combinatorial properties in monkey systems, I will ask a few questions raised by the discovered properties with special reference to morpho-syntax. I will then turn to a typology of mergebased systems, and to the status of the observed call combinations with respect to it.

中文翻译:

猴子形态语法和基于合并的系统

1.目标文章为使用正式语言学开发的复杂分析工具进行猴语言科学研究提供了令人信服的案例,对其他动物交流系统的研究具有明显的意义。尽管“语言”一词的定义非常广泛,但其方式让人想起了电子语言(一组格式正确的句子)的语言概念,但重点实际上是(猴子)i语言,即语言的基本认知能力。被调查物种的呼叫系统。在这篇简短的评论中,我将重点介绍这项工作的一些(形态)句法方面。该论文提供了各种证据,表明至少在猴子语言中发现了最基本的符号组合形式。是否可以将这种形式的组合视为人类语言大规模组合特征的先驱,尚待一个完全悬而未决的问题。由于问题的复杂性和相关证据的缺乏,目标文件中采取的非常谨慎的态度似乎是合理的。同时,该论文有力地主张使用为研究人类语言语法而开发的工具,以突显猴子呼叫系统的特性。本着这种方法的精神,我将“合并”作为人类语言中可操作的基本组合原理,我想根据合并的语言对象的性质,说明合并应用的类型,并将尝试使用这种类型学作为解释网格,以区分似乎猴子语言可以访问的组合形式,以及猴子语言无法访问的组合形式。在概述了猴子系统中组合属性的发现之后,我将提出一些由发现的属性引起的问题,其中特别提到了句法语法。然后,我将介绍基于合并的系统的类型,以及与之相关的观察到的调用组合的状态。
更新日期:2016-01-01
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