Language and linguistics

1978 Language Teaching  
LINGUISTIC THEORY 78-316 Hurford, James R. The significance of linguistic generalisations. Language (Baltimore, Md), 53, 3 (1977), 574-620. A rigorous objective method is proposed for determining the significance of a generalisation, based on probability theory. The proposal is illustrated by applying it to examples central to theorising in generative grammar. Precisely formulated versions of claims made by Chomsky on the use of certain abbreviatory notations (e.g. parentheses) and by Halle on
more » ... ertain 'natural classes' are investigated and shown to be not significant; i.e. they tell us nothing interesting about the nature of language. Other generalisations -on active/passive selectional restrictions, word-order universals, and noun phrase accessibility -are shown to be highly significant. SEMANTICS See also abstracts 78-321, -336 78-317 Harris, Roy.
doi:10.1017/s0261444800003839 fatcat:dodsdrabnfamlke2cejvwmllz4