S-Lab - Yutaro Ueno / Generalization and deduction in generative linguistics
S-Lab - Yutaro Ueno / Generalization and deduction in generative linguistics
Monday October 26, Yutaro leads S-Lab with a case study in comparative syntax, developing the theme of "Generalization and deduction in generative linguistics." His abstract follows.
This presentation makes a case for the value of two activities in generative linguistics: searching for empirical generalizations that capture linguistic observations, and writing proofs to investigate the logical consequences of linguistic theories. The former can provide valuable insights into the patterns exhibited by linguistic expressions. Similarly, proof-writing can reveal important aspects of the logical structure of a linguistic theory, as we consider which assumptions might be needed and how they might be invoked to derive a desired theoretical statement.
To illustrate the value of these activities through a concrete case study in comparative syntax, I have prepared a worksheet based on selected arguments from Watanabe (1996), which will serve as the basis for the presentation. We will first examine a series of syntactic contrasts in Japanese and French and identify empirical statements that capture their distributions and the striking parallels between them. We will then consider how one might derive theoretical statements corresponding to these empirical generalizations from a set of assumptions in the early Minimalist framework. The worksheet presents the relevant problems as a series of largely self-contained exercises, allowing us to engage in empirical generalization and proof-writing ourselves by working through some of the questions underlying Watanabe's arguments. Through these exercises, I hope to show how both activities can deepen our understanding of linguistic patterns and the logical structure of linguistic theories, respectively.
Selected Bibliography:
Watanabe, Akira (1996) Nominative-genitive conversion and agreement in Japanese: A cross-linguistic perspective. Journal of East Asian Linguistics 5: 373–410.