Re: X-Bar Theory

Julien Eychenne sekalge:
>2) Human beings can produce an infinite number of
>sentences with a finite number of elements.
Then you end up with sentences of infinite length, and these would be
endlessly repetitive in the end. Think of reading a dictionary, except
without order, definitions, or end. No human *could* make an infinitely
long sentence.

Hey, who thinks that "Noam Chomsky" is a funny name? (Sorry for
introducing something so puerile, but conlangers are generally very
interested in how words sound.)

>1 ) language has a an abstract structure which has the rigor of
mathematics.

Hmm... not sure exactly what you mean by that. Is it a direct Chomsky
quote? If so, I'll have to take it up with him directly. Do you mean that
the structure of language is as complex as mathematics?

Mostly, I think I'm understanding Generative Grammar. Do I want to? But
I'll have to.

Robert Neo sekalge:
>hehe, thanks, please go into detail, im 15, so i really and just getting
my
>feet wet (trying to soak up all knowledge i can find while im at it
too!)

Is this a disease? I seem to have caught it. Too bad it isn't more
epidemic in proportions.... The love of knowledge (philosophy), not the
age, I mean, though I'm only sixteen. (At least, I think that's right. My
age keeps on changing on me.)

Laimes,
Wright.

Replies