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Aspects of the Theory of Syntax

Disciplines:
philosophy/philosophy of language
language/linguistics

Summary

Noam Chomsky's major theoretical work establishing the standard theory of transformational-generative grammar, distinguishing competence from performance and deep from surface structure.

Core Contribution

Distinguishes linguistic competence (the speaker's internalized grammatical knowledge) from performance (actual language use); develops the distinction between deep structure (underlying logical form) and surface structure; argues for an innate language acquisition device.

Historical Influences

Noam Chomsky

Intellectual Lineage

No conceptual lineage found.

Allied Works

Syntactic Structures The Language of Thought

Contemporaries & Peers

No recorded contemporaries.

Minds Influenced

No recorded minds influenced.

Intellectual Posterity

No conceptual posterity found.

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