Language and Number: The Emergence of a Cognitive System

334 Pages·1987·2.46 MB·English

by  James R. Hurford

GUAGE
AND
NUMBER
ThEem ergeonfCc oegn iStyisvtee m
a
JAMES
R.HURFORD
Tot hteh rgereao cfet shm ea gNiucm b1e4r
LANGUAGE
AND
�ER
The Emergencoef C ogruttSvyset em
a
JAMERS. HURFORD
BasIl Blackwell
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purposoefsc riticainsdrm e vienwo, parotf thipsu blicamtaiyo bne
reproduscteodr,ie nda retriseyvsatle omr,t ransmittaendy,f )onr mo r
by any meanse,l ectromneicch.a nicpahlo,t ocopyriencgo.r dionrg
otherwwiisteh,o tuhtpe r ipoerr misosfti hopenu blisher.
Excepitnt heU niteSdt atoefsA merictah.ib so oki ss olsdu bjetcott h e
condittihoanit t s hanlolt b,y w ayo ft radoero therwbiesl ee.n rt.e -sold,
hireodu to, ro therwciisrec ulwaittehdo tuhte p ublishperri'ocsro nsent
ina nyf ormo fb indionrgc oveort hetrh atnh aitn w hiciht i sp ublished
andw ithoau ts imilcaorn ditiinocnl udtihnigcs o nditbieoinn igm posed
ont hseu bseqpuuerncth aser.
BritLiisbhr Caartayl oguiinpn ugb licDaattiao n
HurfoJradm,e Rs.
Languaagnedn umb:e rtheem ergeonfca e
cognistyisvtee m.
1.P sycholingu2i.sG triacmsm ar.
Comparative
I.T itle
401.'9 P37
ISBN0 -631-15568-6
4
LibrarCyo ngrCeastasl ogiinPn ugb licDaattiao ll
HurfoJradm.e Rs.
Languaagnedn umber.
Bibliogrpa.p hy:
Incluidnedse x.
1.G rammaCro,m paraatnidgv een eral-Numerals.
2.L inguicshtaincg e3..U niver(sLailnsg uistics)
4.N umberTsh,e orofy. 3 .P sycholinguIi.s tics.
Title.
P275.H8179 87 401.'9 87 5167
ISBN0 -631-15568-6
Typeseitn1 1o n 12po1i/n2tB ,e mbo
byP hotograHpohniictsoD,ne ,v on.
PrintienGd r eaBtr itbayi n
AthenaePurme sLst dN,e wcasutpolne T yne.
Contents
Praecfe
Acknodwgleements VB
XB
TheO bjecto fS tudy 1
1 InetreisnNt u merals
1.1L ang,uP asgyecghioslamon,td h Nea turoef 1
1.2N umbers
TheS tuodfyL anguSaygset ems 7
1.3 15
ExplainiLnign guisUtniicv ersals
2 36
ChomskAyc'cso oufnU tnv iersaanlds the
2.1S traotfeG geyn erGartaivmem ar
ConflicGteinnegr aliCzoamtpiloenaxsni,dt y, 36
2.2I rregularity
SomUen iveIrrsraelg ularities 44
2.3E xlpainNionng- absUonliuvteer sals 49
2.4I nvenatnido Nnto hne- univoefNr usmarelailt y 61
2.5S ystems
ExplatihnUein nvige rsEavollsu tionarily6 8
2.6 78
3 AC ontinuoSuesq uenceo f CuontinWgo rds
86
Continofu iBttahyes L iecx iSceaqlu ence
3.1T heR efeenrtial/PHryapgomtahteisci s 86
3.2T heC oncepVteurabHlay/lp othesis 90
3.3T heR itHuyaplo thesis 95
3.4S ynth-easP ilsu rAaclciosutn t 102
3.5T hJeo iAnctq uisoifNt uimorenaa lnsNd u mber 110
3.6 121
Numbers:t heM eaningosf N umerals
4 132
FregBeo'ostN su:m bresa nCdo llections
4.1N umeraalssC ollectioEnx-pdreenostsiinogn1 3s2
4.2 141
Contents
4.3' AtbrsaIcntt'e rproefBt aarNteui moenr als 185
4.4O rdinals 176
45. KnowleodfNg uemb er 137
SyntactIinct egratoifoC no untingW ords 178
5
51. CountWionrgdB se coAmdjee ctoirNv oeusn s 178
5.2S emanMtoitci vaotfAi djoenca tlCi avtegoriz1a79t ion
5.3C ollecatsOi bjoencsNt usme,r aalsNs o unasn,d
Multciaptliion 207
5.4N umerCalla ssCiofinesrt ructions 214
5.5A djevcet-iuNmerWaolr Odr der 218
5.6A dditainCodon jn nuction 226
StandardizatoifoC no mplexN umeralts& a
6 FixedB ase 239
61. SummaorfCy o nstruScot iFoanrs 239
6.2T heP ackSitnrga -teaUg nyi veCrosnaslt orna int
ComplNeumxe rals 242
6.3T heP ackSitnrga itsNe ogtyI nnate 252
6.4S tandarodfiN zuametria-olSnse mantic/Pragmatic
Motivation 262
6.5E voluotfaiS otna ndaBradsibezyS e odc ial
N���
6.6C ompuStiemru lations 2m 85
Denouemenatn dP rospect 302
7
Reefrences 307
Index 318
Preface
A workliinngg wuhiors etg alridnsg uaisass tciicessnh ceed ding
lightm inodnls a,n guaangdle asn,gg eu-acommuansri etaile s
ojbcet,ms entoarsl o csihaolufi,ln dd btohoickso ngae.lTn hiough
Iw riftorema l ingbuaicsktg'rsIoa ulhnsodop, e ptshyacth ologists
andp hilos(oapnhpdeer rsh apsm aetvheenm atwiictaihna ns)
interest ainnnd u lmabnwegirulfi alng dpe o initnts h ibso ok
usuelf tthoei mnt hdee veloopfmt ehneti ri doewaansIs h ,a ve
drawonnt heiBrustt.h ' eoh cupsoc-ulsi'un igcsotn ceornnleyd
witcho nstrfaorimnailniagsn tmdhs me e redleys crliipntgiuvies t,
botohfw homa voqiude stoifoo nntso laongdey x planation,
probawbillnylo p ti ciktu p.
Theb ooikis n tenadsae c do ntritbolu itnigounti hsetoiirncy
thber oadseessnet. o ffeIrtas v ieowfl angu(aiglterl auitsne d
detfaorimlo nep artiscuublsayrsw theimcb)hr intgosg ether
consideorfia ntdiiovnpissd yucahloa lnoodgf cy o mmunication
witahs ipenec ho-mcmutnyTi.h etsweso t ratnhdpess c,yh ological
antdh seo cairapelu ,tt o getghievarne e tvoo lutpieornsapreyc tive
onl anguwahgiec,h esxapllicaehinantrs a ctoefr ifiosrttmsi. c s
Thpes ycholcoognisciadler realbtaoittotehno t s hi en venatnido n
tot hoer dinaacrqyu iosfil tainognut ahgseeo ;cc ioanles riadtions
reltaott eh ew ayisn w hicihn divindeugaoltcsio amtmeo n
standaerxdpirzeesdfso rit ohnemsie ra nsi.Ln agngugaogrwe s
throtuhgiehn teroafc tiinodnmi ivnioddnstu hafelor msv einnted
ands ocinaelgloyt biyat theedpi rre dseoc.reT sshigsr owth of
languagetsr alfcoeremaswv heisc thhl eig nuiwsotr,k ilnigk e
ana rchoageioasl gte,o gliosotri, dn eead n nieteenttuhr-yc en
comparlaitnigvcueair nse tcs,ot nrtuhcet lpiaktetolefdyr e nv elop­
ment. Ttuhrpene irnsgp eaocrutnihdve,ec auns teh pea ttoefr n
develotpoem xepnltwa hiyln a nguaartgehe wesa tyh eayrn eo .w
Praecfe
VlSlolm ewhat stuor prtmihybse oe o,k callasiom msa ktaeo
contritbout thipeoh ni losoofnp uhmyb eTrh.et hrceeen tral
chapt3e,4r ,as n,5d , a raetl eaassmt u cahb otuhtne a ture of
numebrasst h eayra eb oluatn guaanagdnea ,r gumiedsne tv eloped
thaotu rk nowleodfng uem biesri nf cata prodoufco tu r
posseosfls ainognu agaef ca,u lpftorlcy uo sn strcuocltliencgt ions
forma ggreesgA.an at ccoiusgn itv oeftn h rei osfet hneu mber
sequeanncodef c onstruecxtpiroensssb iansgai rcit thhem etical
operaotfia odndsi atnimdou nl tipltihcleaa ttbityoet nru, r ning
thtee chnoifdq euneost asteimoannoatnlit ncous em raWlhsi.il te
mayb ec onventiote anlatkb onuutm bearsas b stPrlaactto nic
ojbcettsh,ae c cohuenrte asw haooywf es x plathfinp ionsgs ibility
ofi nnvteianngkd n owingo jbseuccths ltihnrgouuigsht ic devices.
Thiisn tiutrcsno ublefd de b acikn ator gumtehnlatnatsg uages,
linkuem berasb,s taorrjbaeec ctst usc,hK aatsz p uhftaor sw a.r d
Oncneu mbetrhsPe,l antiospta'rsa deixgamm polfe t arbasct
ojbcetsh,a vbee esnh owtnod evetlhorpho luagngutahgee ,
argumenatl atnhgauitasa g Pel atoojbneiccbt e commeusc h
hardteosr u stain.
NevelrethsIesd ,oc latihma t langiunsa ogmesese nasree
abrsatocjbte c,t thsree suolftt hshe i stoirnitcearloa fcbt oitohn
pshyoclogicsaolc ficaaatnlod Br ust.u, n liCkheo mys,kw ho
alsboe litehvateths ai tsw halta nguaargeIeb ,se litehvaietti s
posstiosb alsyeo metihnitnegr aebsottuihtine ng t eorfpfcal taoyr s
thagti vreists oet heamn,d thteobr eegbtiyon e xpltahieni r
form.A comp'utational model osfo ctinhaeelg otioaft ion
standaerxdpirzeesdsd ieovnesli ontip hsefe dma lc hapter.
AfteIrf n iishwerdi tTihneg LinTghueioosfrN tyui mce raablosu t
twelyveeaa rgsoI t, h ouIgw hotu lndow tr iatneo tbhoeorok n
thsea mteo pAincdi. n as enIsh ea v'eten,v etnh outghhi s book
iasb oluitn gutihsetowiricyts hp ecifict orn euelmralatsIif. eeo ln
Ih avcel imtbheseda mmeo unttawiibncy ec ompldetifreefelnyt
routseese,ic nogm pledtifeefrleyln atn adpseocsnt hwea yT.h e
basdiactf orat htew ob ooakrste h sea m(et nheum ersayls tems
ofn atulraanlg uabguets )t,h e jbeocotkaisrvc'eeo smo pbletely
difefrent.
TheL ignuisTthiecoo rfN yu merwaalsas na ttemptm,a nyl ike
studbiype eso ple goefn emrayar toiuotnnhd ta itm 'ete,ox tend
andm odyi tfhdee tatihleeodor fyg eneragtriavm'em .aI rt
shared 'thmee tphrodionlacosimgsppiautclia aolbn os"u dto ing
linguipsretosifsciesnd"s ucwho rkassC homs(k91y6 5a)n d
ChomsaknyHd a l(l91e6 8T)h'e.wr aes aw ideslhya rveids ion
Preafce
IX
int h1e69 0osf g energartaimvmeaa sar m onolciutmhuilca tive
corpoufps r oposaibtoiuuontni sv egrrsaamlmB aurtb. y 1 795
work wgietnheirnga rtaimvemw aarss pleirnitinngt moa ny
distsiunbhcsotco laslw,li tdhif refentth eoreemtpihcaaaslnd e s
preopcactuinoonnsoe,fw hichhap petnofie nddt hdea tfoarm
numesryaslt peamrst iciutnleraer.slT tyhi edn agtaars et tihlelr e
antdh eayri en terteosa tniynowgnh eow ill ac tlaoksee a tl ook
the.m
Thed isustoiloofnt hissh arveids iloenmda yn,i ncluding
mysetlosf t,u tdhpyeh ilosaonpmdhe itchaold oflouongdiactailo ns
ofg energartaimvmeaa nrtd,h ewraesa g rowotfih n teresting
anpdr ovocwaotriikvnt e h pihsi losaonpmdhei tchaold ological
veiTnh.e rwee rceo enrfenacnedsc ollecotfpi aopnesor ns
explanaltiinogniusc,e is vsiatnl ulaitnignughi ysptoitcht ehsee s,
relaotfdi aotnt aot heoirnly i nguainssdto io cnsS.,c h oalsa rs
divearss eI tKkaotnFzeo,nd ,oa rnC,dh omshkiym sperlofd uced
a numboefrc hallemnognionggr oanpt hhsoe n tolaondg y
episteomofll ionggyu. i psIut bilcitsshhrseemdea elffolr itnst his
vei(nH uorrfd1,79 71,79 9abn 1d8 90)Al. lt howifos r tkh,o ugh
itm adietn etreisnagn dw orthwhile ctootn htoruigbhutt,i ons
cleaorffelryen doh ope (iistf h reti hgawhtot r do)fr euniting
genergartaimvmeAa nrd.m eanwhtihlpeer ,a ctiitnit ohnee rs
splteirnseudbh socowlesr gee ttoinwn igt 'hod inlgi nsgtuiiicns '
theoiwrnw ayIsh .e atrhdoe p intihoaantl t lh diiss cuosfs ion
thfeuo ndatoiflo innsg uwiasostf ni ocu ss teh:e tthoi wndagos
tog eotn w ithj otobhf de e scrainbedix npgl alianniggneug(.a s)
Linguhiasgstr iocwtsno l oa rged iavnefdror sa en yotnobe e
ablteoa rticaunulyan tceo ntrsoevoteff rou snidaaltp iroenmails es
foirtA .st hearreme a nmye taphsytsaircptaoilin ntgth sew,ri el l
probaabllwyab yeas w ide orfas ncgheoo ofll isn gutihsotuigch t
anrde separrocghr aimntm hesesuj becStt.it lhle,r e rseommaei ns
conseonnsw uhsa cto untisl lausim niagnn adit ntereisnt ing
linguCihsotmiscskm.yo 'sistm poritnaflnute Inb ceel,il eivees,
hiesm phaosni shl oiwn guwiosrstkhi ocut lrtdyoi lluminate
tin hseu jbemcatt treart,th hearmn e redleys ciritin bt ei dwya y.s
Wea ldlie ffrw ideilnoy u vri eowfws h acto unatsas na dequate
�xplanabtutitho enir,ase g reetmhesanottm kei nodfe xplanation
15th eg oaolfw oriknl inguIinst thiics sIo.b ff oeoarks pecimen
of' doing litnhgaiutsai d settiacdisil'se,cd u osfsd iaotinana
particaurleawarh, i cihsa tt hsea mtei mcee ntrcaolnlcye rned
withe xplaitnhdiean tgaa n dc onsidtehrgeie nngef roramlo f
expaltainonlsi ngiunTi hsuttsih ciss. a btotoekmt pot sp romote
x Praecfe
a partivciuelowaf re xplanIantl iionng ubiysw toircksi ng
thorouwgihtalhnye xample.
Thpe revbiooouskse verreesltyrt ihdceat iteatadc coufnort.e d
Iw aasw armea noiyfm pincgoinnsrgia dteiwohnisIcr he solutely
kepatta r'mlse n.gI tnth his Iob poeounkpt hecsoen siderations,
baremleyn tiporneeuvdsi lobyu,rt e letvoat nhwtei dtearso kf
explatihnseit nrgu ocftnu urmees ryasmlts Te.h etsoep iinccsl ude:
the activityo rdoifnn uacmloel urslna,at nignugwa,ig tenhso
numesryaeslmt st,hi en tegorafnt uimoenr alnso upinhn rtaos es
ansde nte,esn nucemrcall aisecsroi nfstrutchtdeie onnost,a tional
semanotfni ucmse rals, word-noornd-esrt aunndiavredriszaelds ,
numertahlaesc ,q uisoifnt uimoenr paslhysoc,l ingeuxipsetri­c
imenotnts h pee rceopftn iuomnb etrhee,v oluotfni uomne ral
systaenmcdso ,m municativbee tiwnsetpeeenra aukcsetirinsog n
numerianasl pse ecmhm-ucnoiIti yd.ea alwiazfyeor dmc ondseir­
atiooftn h efscaet oarssa w, a yo fs earcwhhienrge l itghihest
brighAtletshtoI.su tgvihal lliu dee aliazndta htpeir oensb eonotk
contmaainniysd eaolnisIzb, ae tliitehvtaeat k tihnegts oep iinctso
consideraptrioodnua c mehodar sse a taicstfoerxipllya natory
accooufn tw thhyip sa rtiscuubslstayerom fl anguhaagtseh e
charasctttiehcirasditt o .eI sdealiiazsu a stueilfo nr eseayr,c h strateg
buptr ogirasel ssso bmyta rdyeti onr ge aocuhit n tthode i mness
beyoonudri dealsi.z ation
A preerfenforci en tegarndas tyinotnh iensso itsi cienta hbilse
boo.k tIrt yob ritnhgi tnoggse tlhienrg:u isticsa,n dp sychology,
philosloapnhgyuu;as agene ld a ngusaytgseems ;yc nhroannyd
diachwrhoanitysv ; a luianbC lheo mskiyd'easan sid n t hoosfe
hicsr itTihcers e.s unlotft su iiso( no Irh ,o pceo,un sfni,)ob ut
stateomfeilnntaksnsr d e iloantsbheitpwsae reenaa nsad p proaches
thaatra el l otfotioesn ao tlefodrm e acoht her.
A 'ijltleodvs eyrn drcoambnee s' e eonv etrhl ea dsetc aidnae
numboefr boboyfk rosm egre nerlaitnigv.ue i tIshnte wssoekr s,
thaed vecrrsiet iocfCi hsomm skwyo'rsik su nconstructively
shrialndlt ,hc eo ndemnrahteotrooyfr tioecbn s ecsu rrtehael
issuIh easv.e itsaeskw ueintC hh omsaktsy e veproailin ntt sh is
boobku,It h avter ieadv otiodi rraant tioonIneb a.el l itehvaet
ag eneraaptopiarvceth ol angupargoev iudswe ist thh meo st
refinsetdr ayteedtge yv ifsroed dio svcerliinngg usitsrtruiecc,t u
anIdw ounlodrt e noutnhcaieps p roaancmyho rwei llitnhgalny
ane xpertiamslec niewnotuilsdt ugphi ivlsea boraBtuotr y.
simpwloyrk wiintgsh o pthiicslaatebdo reaqtuoirpydm oeennsot t
makaene xperismiceennttaailns dt ,s idmepsclryli ibnignugi stic