Typology as an Approach to language

Question 1

How do we know about the world’s language?

What is typology in this context?

Answer 1

Typology = EMPIRICAL STUDY on LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY

• need data from many langs
• typologists rarely collect own data in field

Larger languages:
- Native speakers’ knowledge.
- Literary traditions.
- Large online corpora.
 E.g. BNC for English.
- Readily accessible speakers

Large langs better known by linguists, MINORITY from view of typology

Question 2

How many languages in the world?

Answer 2

There are more than 6,000 languages in the world.
> Only about 25+ spoken by more than 50 millions speakers

1. Mandarin
2. Spanish
3. English
4. Hindi
5. Arabic

Question 3

Linguistic Diversity - proportional langs spoken by the worlds population

Answer 3

96% world pop speaks 4% of worlds langs

4% of the world pop speaks 96% of worlds langs

Question 4

What continent has the most languages?

Answer 4

africa > asia > pacific > americas > europe > middle east

papua new guinea has >800!!

Question 5

how does typology treat all the langs/linguistic diversity?

Answer 5

• Each lang is a datapoint for typology
• tells us something about what a possible language is
• Small languages are no less valid wrt these questions.

Question 6

Threat on linguistic diversity

Answer 6

• Languages die and emerge naturally.
• Globalization is an accelerator.
• A language disappears every 2 weeks.

We lose access to data points!

• many datapoints already unaccessible (dead/disappeared langs)
• Independent of globalization.
• And those that do not exist yet.

EMERGING LANGS: creoles, mixed langs

Question 7

How do we know about the world’s language?

Where do grammars come from?

Answer 7

field work

1. Record speech.
2. Transcribe.
3. Compile in a searchable corpus.
4. Analyse.
5. Go back to the field, double check.
6. Write a grammar.

 + Language documentation.
 Produce texts, videos…
 A more embodied trace of the language.

long process, hard work, part of the work extremely empirical.

Question 8

Language description

Answer 8

Typology influences datacollection/analysis

Lang description = CUMULATIVE
progress , also thanks to typology

Question 9

Typology and descriptions: a bundle of subfields

Answer 9

Closely associated:
 Typology.
 Descriptive linguistics.
 Language documentations.

COMBINE within approach of “FUNCTIONALISM”

Question 10

Typologists vs Generativists

Answer 10

Typology > Descriptive Linguistics > Functionalism

Generativists > formalism > universal grammar (CHOMSKY)

Question 11

Generative linguistics

Answer 11

Noam Chomsky (1965)
 Concept of innate Universal Grammar.
 Therefore it has to be the same for all humans.
 Linguistic diversity as a twist to Universal Grammar.
- Look beyond the surface
- idea of DEEP structure of languages

> Find out about cognition from the structure of language.
 // Typologists.
But one language is enough.
 # Typologists.

Question 12

Functionalism

Answer 12

• Functionalists reject movement.
• The surface is the object.
• There is no underlying deep structure.
• Explanations must remain within the realm of the visible.
• The functions of linguistic structures are in focus.
• Hence the label functionalism.

 Multiplicity of languages tells about ‘underlying’ structures.
 More empirical.
 Does empirical mean superficial?

 Generative vs functionalists

• The mechanics and the engineer?
• Empirical observation grounds science

Question 13

Generativists core values
vs
Typologists core values

Answer 13

Unique biological explanation:
language universals are innate
properties of human beings

• expect unity
  -grammar is innate
• grammar is syntax
  > usage irrelevant to theory

Multiple explanations combining cognition, social structures, cultural differences

• explain diversity
• grammar emerges from interaction
• grammar is form and function

Question 14

what do generativists and typologists have in common?

Answer 14

Ultimately both looking for universals of human cognition

• different paths
• different explanations
• same search