Universals in language or cognition? Evidence from English language acquisition 
and from Pirahã

Stapert, Eugénie

doi:10.1093/oso/9780199545216.003.0016

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Universals in language or cognition? Evidence from English language acquisition and from Pirahã

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Stapert, Eugénie
Max Planck Research Group on Comparative Population Linguistics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Max Planck Society;
Department of Linguistics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Max Planck Society;

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Citation

Stapert, E. (2009). Universals in language or cognition? Evidence from English language acquisition and from Pirahã. In ed. by Geoffrey Sampson, David Gil and Peter Trudgill (Ed.), Language complexity as an evolving variable (pp. 230-242). Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press. doi:10.1093/oso/9780199545216.003.0016.

Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000F-2996-A

Abstract

One of the most intriguing issues every linguist sooner or later has to deal with is the relation between language and cognition. Are we to draw a clear distinction between the two, as is done by supporters of an autonomous language faculty, or is language just part of our general cognitive system? This question has gained particular relevance in the current discussion on language complexity and its connection to language universals. Most people agree that human languages have certain properties in common, which distinguish language from other communication systems. However, depending on one’s view on the above question, these possible universals are seen either as part of the syntactic component in a language faculty or as part of general cognitive structures.