Universality and variation in language
Halldor Armann Sigurdsson
December 2020 

This article discusses language universality and language variation, and suggests that there is no feature variation in initial syntax, featural variation arising by metamorphosis under transfer from syntax to PF-morphology. In particular, it explores the Zero Hypothesis, stating that Universal Grammar, UG, only provides two building elements, Root Zero and Edge Feature Zero, zero, as they are purely structural/formal elements with no semantic content in UG. Their potential content is provided by the Concept Mine, a mind-internal but language-external department. ... It is suggested that parameters are on the externalization side of language, part of or related to the sensory-motor system, facilitating motoric learning in language acquisition.

Format:	[ pdf ]
Reference:	lingbuzz/005575 (please use that when you cite this article)
Published in:	Evolutionary Linguistic Theory 2:1 (2020), pp. 5–29.
keywords:	keywords: root zero, concept mine, simplest merge, tense, gender, edge features, edge computation, parameters, language metamorphosis, semantics, morphology, syntax
previous versions:	v2 [December 2020] v1 [November 2020]
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