[B-Greek] phonological flow & syntactical structure

James Tauber jtauber at jtauber.com
Thu Apr 28 13:53:07 EDT 2005


On Thu, 28 Apr 2005 08:56:14 -0700, "Eric Biggs"
<ericb at gracechurchreno.org> said:
> Eric Biggs:
> Chomsky in this work, on pgs. 79-83 speaks of "formal similiarities
> between 
> phonology and syntax".  With this I looked at some rules of phonology 
> [+continuant] [+voiced]/-[+voiced], which is diagramed on pg. 82 as an 
> example of these similiarities.  He goes on "These conventions allow us
> to 
> apply rules to any class of segements specifed by a given combination of 
> features, and thus to make use of the cross classification of segments 
> provided by the feature representation.  These notions can be adapted 
> without essential change to representation of lexical categories and
> their 
> members, providing a very natural solution to the cross-classification 
> problem and, at the same time, contributing to the general unity of 
> grammatical theory". pg. 82.

What Chomsky is saying here is that the feature structures developed as
part of the formalization of phonological theory could be used in the
formalization of lexical categories. Features structures allow a more
expressive classification of objects than mere hierarchy allows.

> My thoughts are in league with the general unity of grammmatical theory,
> not 
> the cross-classification problem he speaks of.  This phonological rule is 
> mirrored latter on by syntactical rules using nouns.  But in reviewing
> this 
> I realize that they are only similiarities, and thus I have a hard time 
> staying with my origianal thought's of "phonology governing syntax".  I
> was 
> coming to this conclusion quickly I admit, thinking that if the rules of 
> syntax are the same of phonology then the origin of language being in the 
> poducing of sounds would then lead into the actual structure of the
> syntax. 
> But I admit, what I now review in Chomsky is only similiarities.

Right. Chomsky isn't saying the rules are the same. Just that some of
the mechanisms for expressing those rules are the same.

James
-- 
  James Tauber               http://jtauber.com/
  journeyman of some    http://jtauber.com/blog/




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