July 18, 2004 Journal article Open Access

Haspelmath, Martin

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    <subfield code="a">Does linguistic explanation presuppose linguistic description?</subfield>
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    <subfield code="a">&lt;p&gt;I argue that the following two assumptions are incorrect: (i) The properties of the innate Universal Grammar can be discovered by comparing language systems, and (ii) functional explanation of language structure presupposes a &amp;ldquo;correct&amp;rdquo;, i.e. cognitively realistic, description. Thus, there are two ways in which linguistic explanation does not presuppose linguistic description.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The generative program of building cross-linguistic generalizations into the hypothesized Universal Grammar cannot succeed because the actually observed generalizations are typically one-way implications or implicational scales, and because they typically have exceptions. The cross-linguistic generalizations are much more plausibly due to functional factors.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;I distinguish sharply between &amp;ldquo;phenomenological description&amp;rdquo; (which makes no claims about mental reality) and &amp;ldquo;cognitively realistic descrip- tion&amp;rdquo;, and I show that for functional explanation, phenomenological description is sufficient.&lt;/p&gt;</subfield>
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