The document discusses the origins and nature of language. It explores the relationship between words, grammar, meaning, and thinking. A key point is that Noam Chomsky argues that grammar was present in the human brain before the first words or pictures, and that grammar was necessary for true thinking. The document also examines how the basic concept of "merging" or combining elements is crucial to language and allowed early humans to develop more advanced cognitive abilities.

1. What is language, anyway?

2. The Word
• SYMBOL (or SIGN): Sound, writing etc
• GENERAL MEANING (or CONCEPT or SENSE)
• OBJECT (or ACTION etc)

3. The Word
• SIGN
• THOUGHT
• THING (or action)
• Or is it just the IDEA of a THING or ACTION?

4. The Word
CREATION

5. Language as CREATION
• Hindu myth:
• God wanted to speak
• God said bhur and the Earth was created
• God said bhuvar and Space was created
• God said suvar and Sky was created

6. Language as CREATION
• The Bible
• In the beginning was the Word
• And the Word was with God
• And the Word was God

7. Language as CREATION
• Let there be light!
• Let there be animals!
• Let there be sea!
• Etc

8. Language as CREATION?
•Expecto
Patronum!

9. Expecto Patronum

10. Language as CREATION
• The Declaration of Independence
• アメリカ独立宣言
• Create a principle of equality

11. Language as CREATION
• I hereby name this ship Johnny
• Creates a name
• I hereby declare this meeting open/closed
• Creates a situation

12. The word “horse”

13. The meaning of horse

14. The actual horse

15. 30,000 ~ 35,000 years ago

16. A sign (a picture)

17. Picture of a horse

18. The idea of a horse

19. Maybe you think of an actual horse?

20. What comes first?

21. Pictures?

22. Or words?

23. Grammar is needed before we can
make real pictures

24. What’s the difference between a
picture and a word?

25. Let’s look at a word
PHON

26. horse
PHON

27. Horse sound
PHON /hɔːs/

28. SYNTAX
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN

29. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN

30. Horse: Category
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT

31. Horse: Valency
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT
VAL

32. Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [ ]
VAL

33. Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [ ]

34. Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]

35. Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]

36. Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]

37. Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]

38. Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM

39. Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM ??????

40. Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM [identity of referent (actual thing)

41. Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM [identity of referent
+ general meaning ]

42. Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM [identity of referent
+ general meaning ]

43. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM [identity of referent
+ general meaning ]

44. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM

45. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM ID
GENERAL
MEANING

46. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM ID

47. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM INDEX

48. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM INDEX X

49. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM INDEX Y

50. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM INDEX Z

51. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM INDEX 1

52. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM INDEX 2

53. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM INDEX X

54. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM INDEX 3rd Person
Singular

55. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM INDEX X

56. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
INDEX X

57. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES

58. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES: GENERAL MEANING

59. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES <
Horse-Frame

60. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES <
Horse-Frame
Entity X

61. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES <
Horse-Frame
Entity X
X = 3rd Person, Singular

62. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES <
Horse-Frame
Entity X

63. PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES <
Horse-Frame
Entity X
>

64. • Picture:
• 1. Sign (the picture)
• 2. The meaning (the idea of horse, for example)
• Word:
• 1. Sign (the sound)
• 2. The meaning (the idea of horse, for example)
• Anything else?

65. • Word:
• 1. Sign (the sound)
• 2. The meaning (the idea of horse, for
example)
• 3. Grammar (syntax)

66. So here’s the question?

67. What comes first?

68. The picture?

69. Or the word?

70. Or here’s another question

71. Animals can learn words

72. Chimpanzees can learn words

73. Dogs can learn words

74. Everyone knows that

75. But we think animals DON’T know
grammar

76. So what comes first?

77. A word WITH grammar?

78. Or WITHOUT grammar?

79. In the beginning, there was the word!

80. Did it have grammar?!

81. First modern human

82. He lived in Africa

83. A long time ago

84. 200,000 ~ 40,000 years ago

85. Let’s say he made the first word

86. Let’s say he made a word like “horse”

87. It’s the first word ever

88. There are no other words

89. Does it have grammar?

90. It’s a sign (it has sound)

91. It has meaning (the idea of horse)

92. If it’s NOT a sign and has no meaning
…

93. It’s not a word

94. But a word doesn’t NEED grammar

95. His first word …

96. … doesn’t need grammar

97. So here’s the question?

98. What comes first?

99. The picture or grammar?

100. The first word or grammar?

101. Noam Chomsky

102. The cleverest person in the world

103. He says …

104. Grammar was built into human’s
brains …

105. … before the first word

106. … before the first picture

107. Humans using fire

108. Using tools

109. Animals use tools

110. But early humans were more
advanced

111. At least 400,000 years ago

112. Were these people thinking?

113. Were they just like animals?

114. Seems like they had culture

115. Seems like they could think

116. Can you make this without thinking?

117. Animals can’t do this, right?

118. 3.3 million years old!

119. Way before modern humans

120. Way before human language

121. Were they thinking?

122. Chomsky says we needed grammar …

123. … before we could really think

124. No real thinking?

125. No thinking before we got grammar!

126. Thinking wasn’t getting slowly better!

127. It was all waiting for grammar

128. We needed grammar to make signs?

129. Yes

130. No real human thinking without
grammar

131. In the beginning was grammar!

132. PHON /ʃiː/
SYN
CAT [ CASE [ ]]
VAL [ ]
SEM
INDEX
FRAMES <
–Frame
Entity
>

133. PHON /ʃiː/
SYN
CAT [ noun CASE [ ]]
VAL [ ]
SEM
INDEX
FRAMES <
–Frame
Entity
>

134. PHON /ʃiː/
SYN
CAT [ noun CASE [ nom ]]
VAL [ ]
SEM
INDEX
FRAMES <
–Frame
Entity
>

135. PHON /ʃiː/
SYN
CAT [ noun CASE [ nom ]]
VAL [ ???? ]
SEM
INDEX
FRAMES <
–Frame
Entity
>

136. PHON /ʃiː/
SYN
CAT [ noun CASE [ nom ]]
VAL [ ]
SEM
INDEX
FRAMES <
–Frame
Entity
>

137. PHON /ʃiː/
SYN
CAT [ noun CASE [ nom ]]
VAL [ ]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES <
–Frame
Entity
>

138. PHON /ʃiː/
SYN
CAT [ noun CASE [ nom ]]
VAL [ ]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES <
female –Frame
Entity
>

139. PHON /ʃiː/
SYN
CAT [ noun CASE [ nom ]]
VAL [ ]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES <
female –Frame
Entity X
>

140. PHON /hɪm/
SYN
CAT [ CASE [ ]]
VAL < >
SEM
INDEX
FRAMES <
–Frame
Entity
>

141. PHON /hɪm/
SYN
CAT [ noun CASE [ acc ]]
VAL < >
SEM
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>

142. PHON /sliːps/
SYN
CAT [ ]
VAL <NP[CASE ] X= PER: NUM: >
SEM
INDEX
FRAMES <
–Frame
Entity
>

143. PHON /sliːps/
SYN
CAT [ ? ]
VAL <NP[CASE ? ] X= PER:? NUM: ? >
SEM
INDEX ??
?
FRAMES <
? –Frame
Entity ??
>

144. PHON /sliːps/
SYN
CAT [ verb ]
VAL <NP[CASE nom] X= PER: 3 NUM:sing>
SEM
INDEX S
FRAMES <
Sleeping–Frame
Entity X
>

145. PHON /siːz/
SYN
CAT [ ]
VAL <NP[CASE ] X= PER: NUM: ,
NP[CASE ] Y= PER: NUM: >
SEM
INDEX
FRAMES <
–Frame
>SEER
SEEN

146. PHON /siːz/
SYN
CAT [ ]
VAL <NP[CASE ] X= PER: NUM: ,
NP[CASE ] Y= PER: NUM: >
SEM
INDEX
FRAMES <
–Frame
>SEER
SEEN

147. PHON /siːz/
SYN
CAT [ ? ]
VAL <NP[CASE ? ] X= PER:? NUM: ? ,
NP[CASE ? ] Y= PER: ? NUM:?
>
SEM
INDEX ?
FRAMES <
? –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
?
?

148. PHON /siːz/
SYN
CAT [ verb ]
VAL <NP[CASE nom ] X= PER:3 NUM: 1 ,
NP[CASE acc ] Y= PER: NUM: >
SEM
INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y

149. Remember: his first word has sound
(it’s a sign)

150. And it has meaning (the idea of horse)

151. But it doesn’t have grammar yet

152. Does his MIND need grammar?

153. Before he can make a word?

154. Chomsky

155. The cleverest person in the world!

156. Very difficult to understand!

157. One rule for language!

158. One rule for grammar!

159. It’s an important rule!

160. It allows us to think and make pictures
and words!

161. What’s the rule?

162. Merge

163. What’s merge?

164. Very difficult!

165. The most difficult rule in the universe!

168. apple

169. applepen

170. applepen
apple-pen

171. apple-pen
• But what is an apple-pen?
• Is it an apple?
• No
• Is it a pen?
• No
• It’s an apple-pen
• But what is an apple-pen?

172. apple-pen
• Is an apple-pen ….
• … more like an apple …
• … or more like a pen?

175. father

176. fathermother

177. fathermother
you

178. But what is a You?
• Are you your mother?
• No
• Are you your father?
• No
• Are you more like your mother or your father?

181. pen

182. pena

183. pena
a pen

186. Pen
noun

187. Pen
noun
A
Determiner

188. Pen
名詞
A
限定詞

189. Pen
noun
A
Determiner

190. 名詞限定詞
名詞句

191. noundeterminer
noun phrase

192. OK, so let’s merge

193. himsees

194. him
noun phrase
sees
verb
sees him

195. him
noun (phrase)
sees
verb
verb phrase

196. MERGE PHON
PHON /siːz/ PHON /hɪm/

197. MERGE PHON
PHON /siːz/ PHON /hɪm/
PHON /siːz hɪm /

198. Merge just means …
PHON /siːz/ PHON /hɪm/
PHON /siːz hɪm /

199. … take two things …
PHON /siːz/ PHON /hɪm/
PHON /siːz hɪm /

200. … and put them together
PHON /siːz/ PHON /hɪm/
PHON /siːz hɪm /

201. These people couldn’t do MERGE?

202. The people who made these couldn’t
do MERGE!？

203. • Kanzi – An ape of genius

209. MERGE SEM
INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
SEMANTICS OF
“sees”

210. MERGE SEM
INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
SEMANTICS OF “sees”
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y >
SEMANTICS OF
“him”

211. MERGE SEM
INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
SEMANTICS OF “sees”
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y >
SEMANTICS OF “him”
NOTICE the Ys are merging already.
WHY?

212. PHON /siːz/
SYN
CAT [ verb ]
VAL <NP[CASE nom ] X= PER:3 NUM: 1 ,
NP[CASE acc ] Y= PER: NUM: >
SEM
INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
VALENCY and
SEM SPECS

213. MERGE SEM
INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
SEMANTICS OF “sees”
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y >
SEMANTICS OF “him”

214. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>

215. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE MERGE SEMANTIC INFO?

216. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>
INDEX ?
FRAMES < >????????

217. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>
INDEX ?
FRAMES < >????????
WHAT
KIND OF
INDEX FOR
“sees
him”?

218. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>
INDEX ?
FRAMES < >????????
INDEX
identifies
as a
situation
or
individual

219. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>
INDEX ?
FRAMES < >????????
Is “sees
him” more
like an
individual
or a
situation?

220. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>
INDEX S
FRAMES < >????????
Probably a
situation

221. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>
INDEX S
FRAMES < >????????
How
about
Frames?

222. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>
INDEX S
FRAMES < >????????
Well
FRAMES is
a list

223. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>
INDEX S
FRAMES < >????????
FRAMES is
a list of
general
meanings

224. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>
INDEX S
FRAMES < >????????
So we can
keep both

225. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>
INDEX S
FRAMES < >
Seeing –Frame
X
Y
SEER
SEEN

226. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>
INDEX S
FRAMES < >
Seeing –Frame
X
Y
SEER
SEEN

227. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>
INDEX S
FRAMES < >
Seeing –Frame
X
Y
SEER
SEEN
Male –Frame
Entity Y

228. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>
INDEX S
FRAMES < >
Seeing –Frame
X
Y
SEER
SEEN
Male –Frame
Entity Y
,

229. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>
INDEX S
FRAMES < >
Seeing –Frame
X
Y
SEER
SEEN
Male –Frame
Entity Y
,
“sees him”
Identity as a
situation from
the DOMINANT
(Stronger)
PARENT

230. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>
INDEX S
FRAMES < >
Seeing –Frame
X
Y
SEER
SEEN
Male –Frame
Entity Y
,
“sees him”
General meaning
(FRAMES) from
BOTH PARENTS

231. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>
INDEX S
FRAMES < >
Seeing –Frame
X
Y
SEER
SEEN
Male –Frame
Entity Y
,
“sees” “him”
“sees him”

232. Isn’t this fun?!
• In MERGE …
• Sound (PHONOLOGICAL) info comes from
both parents equally
• General meaning (FRAMES) info comes from
both parents equally
• But the identity (INDEX) comes from the
dominant parent

233. INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y
INDEX Y
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity Y
>
INDEX S
FRAMES < >
Seeing –Frame
X
Y
SEER
SEEN
Male –Frame
Entity Y
,
“sees” “him”
“sees him”

234. What about Grammar (SYNTAX)?

235. verbverb
verb phrase
Well, we kind of
expect SYNTAX to
come mostly from
one DOMINANT
parent, right?

236. PHON /siːz/
SYN
CAT [ verb ]
VAL <NP[CASE nom ] X= PER:3 NUM: 1 ,
NP[CASE acc ] Y= PER: NUM: >
SEM
INDEX S
FRAMES <
Seeing –Frame
>SEER
SEEN
X
Y

237. PHON /hɪm/
SYN
CAT [ noun CASE [ acc ]]
VAL < >
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity X
>

238. SYNTAX for “sees”
CAT [ verb ]
VAL <NP[CASE nom ] X,
NP[CASE acc ] Y>

239. SYNTAX for “him”
CAT [ verb ]
VAL <NP[CASE nom ] X,
NP[CASE acc ] Y>
CAT [noun [CASE acc]]
VAL < >

240. SYNTAX for “ sees him”?
CAT [ verb ]
VAL <NP[CASE nom ] X,
NP[CASE acc ] Y>
CAT [noun [CASE acc]]
VAL < >

241. What do you think?
CAT [ verb ]
VAL <NP[CASE nom ] X,
NP[CASE acc ] Y>
CAT [noun [CASE acc]]
VAL < >

242. CAT [ verb ]
VAL <NP[CASE nom ] X,
NP[CASE acc ] Y>
CAT [noun [CASE acc]]
VAL < >
SYNTAX of “sees him”

243. CAT [ verb ]
VAL <NP[CASE nom ] X,
NP[CASE acc ] Y>
CAT [noun [CASE acc]]
VAL < >
CAT [ verb ]
VAL <NP[CASE nom ] X,
NP[CASE acc ] Y>
Exactly
the same
as the
SYNTAX of
the verb …

244. CAT [ verb ]
VAL <NP[CASE nom ] X,
NP[CASE acc ] Y>
CAT [noun [CASE acc]]
VAL < >
CAT [ verb ]
VAL <NP[CASE nom ] X>
… minus
the object
in the
VALENCY
list