Weak evidence for word-order universals: Language not as 'innate' as thought?

Thursday, April 14, 2011 - 08:31 in Psychology & Sociology

A new study on the structure of languages challenges the notion that certain aspects of language are 'innate' among all cultures. Using Bayesian phylogenetic methods, the authors show that the 'rules' governing word order change are different in different language families, casting doubt on universal theories of grammar.

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