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How language emerged through the power of 'Merge
- 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?
- 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
- 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?
- 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
- 29. PHON /hɔːs/ SYN
- 32. Horse PHON /hɔːs/ SYN CAT [ ] 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?
- 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
- 75. But we think animals DON’T know grammar
- 76. So what comes first?
- 77. A word WITH grammar?
- 79. In the beginning, there was the word!
- 80. Did it have grammar?!
- 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?
- 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
- 188. Pen 名詞 A 限定詞
- 190. 名詞限定詞 名詞句
- 192. OK, so let’s merge
- 193. himsees
- 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