What Counts as Evidence in Linguistics
The case of innateness
Editors
What counts as evidence in linguistics? This question is addressed by the contributions to the present volume (originally published as a Special Issue of Studies in Language 28:3 (2004). Focusing on the innateness debate, what is illustrated is how formal and functional approaches to linguistics have different perspectives on linguistic evidence. While special emphasis is paid to the status of typological evidence and universals for the construction of Universal Grammar (UG), this volume also highlights more general issues such as the roles of (non)-standard language and historical evidence. To address the overall topic, the following three guiding questions are raised: What type of evidence can be used for innateness claims (or UG)?; What is the content of such innate features (or UG)?; and, How can UG be used as a theory guiding empirical research? A combination of articles and peer commentaries yields a lively discussion between leading representatives of formal and functional approaches.
[Benjamins Current Topics, 7] 2007. x, 297 pp.
Publishing status: Available
© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Table of Contents
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Preface | pp. vii–ix
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What counts as evidence in linguistics? An introductionMartina Penke and Anette Rosenbach | pp. 1–49
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Typological evidence and Universal GrammarFrederick J. Newmeyer | pp. 51–73
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Remarks on the relation between language typology and Universal Grammar: Commentary on NewmeyerMark Baltin | pp. 75–79
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Does linguistic explanation presuppose linguistic description?Martin Haspelmath | pp. 81–107
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Remarks on description and explanation in grammar: Commentary on HaspelmathJudith Aissen and Joan Bresnan | pp. 109–112
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Author’s responseMartin Haspelmath | pp. 113–115
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From UG to Universals: Linguistic adaptation through iterated learningSimon Kirby, Kenny Smith and Henry Brighton | pp. 117–138
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Form, meaning and speakers in the evolution of language: Commentary on Kirby, Smith and BrightonWilliam A. Croft | pp. 139–142
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Author’s responseSimon Kirby, Kenny Smith and Henry Brighton | pp. 143–145
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Why assume UG?Dieter Wunderlich | pp. 147–174
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What kind of evidence could refute the UG hypothesis? Commentary on WunderlichMichael Tomasello | pp. 175–178
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Author’s response: Is there any evidence that refutes the UG hypothesis?Dieter Wunderlich | pp. 179–180
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A question of relevance: Some remarks on standard languagesHelmut Weiß | pp. 181–208
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The Relevance of Variation: Remarks on Weiß’s Standard-Dialect-ProblemHorst J. Simon | pp. 209–213
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Author’s responseHelmut Weiß | pp. 215–216
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Universals, innateness and explanation in second language acquisitionFred Eckman | pp. 217–239
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‘Internal’ versus ‘external’ universals: Commentary on EckmanLydia White | pp. 241–243
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Author’s response: ‘External’ universals and explanation in SLAFred Eckman | pp. 245–248
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What counts as evidence in historical linguistics?Olga Fischer | pp. 249–281
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Abstraction and performance: Commentary on FischerDavid W. Lightfoot | pp. 283–286
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Author’s responseOlga Fischer | pp. 287–289
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Index | pp. 291–297
“This volume is a coherent collection of articles on the question of linguistic evidence in linguistics. The editors found balance in the range of topics, and the volume constitutes a varied collection of contributions, commentaries and responses. This structure caters particularly well for audiences who are informed in linguistics but do not necessarily have specialist knowledge of some of the issues discussed. Moreover, the mix of opinions enables the reader to spot controversial issues in the debate and clearly distinguish the writers' approaches. For this reason, the volume is highly recommended to everyone, but in particular to graduate and doctoral students.”
Mikko Laittinen, University of Helsinki, in Folia Linguistica 42(2): 471-478
Cited by (14)
Cited by 14 other publications
Kertész, András
2023. Relativism Versus Absolutism in Linguistics. Foundations of Science 
McGillivray, Barbara & Gard B. Jenset
2023. Quantifying the quantitative (re-)turn in historical linguistics. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 10:1
Nagy C., Katalin, Zsuzsanna Németh & Enikő Németh T.
2019. Adatok és adatforrások integrációja a pragmatikai kutatásban. Jelentés és Nyelvhasználat 6:2 ► pp. 109 ff.
Németh, Zsuzsanna, Katalin Nagy C. & Enikő Németh T.
2019. Fuzzy Boundaries in the Research into Talk-in-Interaction. In Fuzzy Boundaries in Discourse Studies, ► pp. 113 ff.
Nuria Yáñez-Bouza, Emma Moore, Linda van Bergen & Willem B. Hollmann
2019. Categories, Constructions, and Change in English Syntax,
Men, Haiyan
2018. Collocation Studies in Second-Language Learner English. In Vocabulary Increase and Collocation Learning, ► pp. 35 ff.
Hinskens, Frans
2017. Dialectology and Formal Linguistic Theory. In The Handbook of Dialectology, ► pp. 88 ff.
Da Rosa, Eliane
2015. As vogais médias átonas finais no português brasileiro do século XIX. Revista Galega de Filoloxía 16 ► pp. 147 ff.
Kertész, András & Csilla Rákosi
2014. Chapter 1. Introduction: The state of the art and the structure of the book. In The Evidential Basis of Linguistic Argumentation [Studies in Language Companion Series, 153], ► pp. 1 ff.
Kertész, András & Ferenc Kiefer
2013. From Thought Experiments to Real Experiments in Pragmatics. In Perspectives on Pragmatics and Philosophy [Perspectives in Pragmatics, Philosophy & Psychology, 1], ► pp. 53 ff.
Phakeng, Mamokgethi Setati & Judit N. Moschkovich
2013. Mathematics Education and Language Diversity: A Dialogue Across Settings. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education 44:1 ► pp. 119 ff.
Aixelà, Yolanda
2012. La presentación social del cuerpo marroquí en contextos migratorios. Entre la afirmación identitaria y el rechazo islamófobo. Revista de Dialectología y Tradiciones Populares 67:1 ► pp. 19 ff.
Closs Traugott, Elizabeth
2011. La linguistique, étude de l'aptitude au langage. Diogène n° 229-230:1 ► pp. 30 ff.
Traugott, Elizabeth Closs
2011. Linguistics: The Study of the Language Capacity and Its Functions. Diogenes 58:1-2 ► pp. 20 ff.
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Subjects
Main BIC Subject
CFH: Phonetics, phonology
Main BISAC Subject
LAN009000: LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / General