普遍文法

普遍文法（，縮寫為 ），又譯為普遍語法，一種語言學理論，最有名的提倡者為喬姆斯基。這個理論認為在人類能夠學習到各種文法的普遍能力，是內建在大腦中的。它可以用來解釋語言習得的一般過程，說明兒童在發展語言時，使用同一個法則，來學習不同的語言。

這個想法最早可以追溯到英國的哲學家培根。最早提出這個理論的語言學家，是喬姆斯基、薩丕爾、與理查德·蒙塔古。

培根及早期哲學家
喬姆斯基的理論
20世纪80年代初，乔姆斯基和其他一些语言学家提出了普遍语法理论，也称为原则与参数理论。

喬姆斯基認為，人類的大腦，只使用幾組固定的規則來組織語言。所以，他假設所有的語言，在底層都擁有相同的文法結構。這幾組有限的規則，稱為普遍文法（universal grammar）。

他们认为，普遍语法是人类所特有的语言知识体系，存在于正常人的大脑中。根据这一原则和参数体系，普遍语法包括一套普遍原则，利用这些原则，可以不断合成短语；普遍语法还含有一系列参数，这些参数可以帮助和指导普遍原则更好地操作。

參考文獻
*
Baker, Mark C. The Atoms of Language: The Mind's Hidden Rules of Grammar*. Oxford University Press, 2003. .
Beattie, James. "Of Universal Grammar". Section II, The Theory of Language (1788). Rpt in Dissertations Moral and Critical* (1783, 1986.)
Blair, Hugh. Lecture 6, 7, and 8, Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres*, (1783). Rpt New York: Garland, 1970.
Burnett, James. Of the Origin and Progress of Language*. Edinburgh, 1774–1792.
Chomsky, N. Aspects of the Theory of Syntax*. MIT Press, 1965. .
Elman, J., Bates, E. et al. Rethinking innateness*. MIT Press, 1996.
Harris, James. Hermes or A Philosophical Inquiry Concerning Universal Grammar*. (1751, 1771.)
Kliesch, C. (2012). Making sense of syntax – Innate or acquired? Contrasting universal grammar with other approaches to language acquisition. Journal of European Psychology Students, 3*, 88–94,
"Of Universal Grammar". In "Grammar". Encyclopædia Britannica*, (1771).
Pesetsky, David. [http://web.mit.edu/linguistics/people/faculty/pesetsky/Pesetsky_MITECS_Universals_UG.pdf "Linguistic Universals and Universal Grammar"] . In The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences*. Ed. Robert A. Wilson and Frank C. Keil Cambridge, MA: MIT Press 1999.
Sampson, G. The "Language Instinct" Debate*. Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005. .
Smith, Adam. "Considerations Concerning the First Formation of Languages". In Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres*. Ed. J. C. Bryce. Indianapolis: Liberty Press, 1983, 203–226.
Smith, Adam. "Of the Origin and Progress of Language". Lecture 3, Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres. Ed. J. C. Bryce. Indianapolis: Liberty Press, 1983, 9–13.
Tomasello, M. Constructing a Language: A Usage-Based Theory of Language Acquisition*. Harvard University Press, 2003. .
Window on Humanity. A Concise Introduction to Anthropology*. Conrad Phillip Kottak. Ed. Kevin Witt, Jill Gordon. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2005.
*White, Lydia. "Second Language Acquisition and Universal Grammar". Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Zuidema, Willem. How the poverty of stimulus solves the poverty of stimulus*. "Evolution of Language: Fourth International Conference", Harvard University, March 2002.

• http://ling.auf.net/lingBuzz/000100

*

• Chomsky, Noam: Rules and Representations. Columbia University Press, New York 1980.
• Chomsky, Noam: Lectures on Government and Binding. Foris, Dordrecht, 1981.
• Chomsky, Noam: The Minimalist Program. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1995.
• Christiansen, M. H.; Chater, N. (2008): [http://www.psych.cornell.edu/sec/pubPeople/mhc27/cc-BBS-2008.pdf Language as shaped by the brain.] In: Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 31(05): 489–509 (PDF-Datei; 928 kB)
• Evans, N.; Levinson, S. C. (2009): [https://web.archive.org/web/20191210102954/https://www.eva.mpg.de/psycho/pdf/Publications_2009_PDF/Tomasello_Universal%20Grammar_2009.pdf The myth of language universals: Language diversity and its importance for cognitive science.] In: Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 32(05): 429–448 (PDF-Datei; 717 kB)
• Tomasello, M. (1995): [https://web.archive.org/web/20150507054601/http://www.princeton.edu/~adele/MTLngNotInstinct.pdf Language is not an instinct.] In: Cognitive Development, 10, 131–156 (PDF-Datei; 1,9 MB)
• Tomasello, Michael: Constructing a Language. A Usage-Based Theory of Language Acquistion. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 2003.
• Evans, Vyvyan: The Language Myth: Why Language Is Not an Instinct. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2014. ISBN 978-1-107-61975-3.

外部連結

• Pesetsky, David. [http://web.mit.edu/linguistics/people/faculty/pesetsky/Pesetsky_MITECS_Universals_UG.pdf "Linguistic Universals and Universal Grammar"] . In The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences. Ed. Robert A. Wilson and Frank C. Keil Cambridge, MA: MIT Press 1999.

参见

• Applicative universal grammar
• 布若卡氏区
• 生成文法
• Linguistic universal
• 母語
• 優選理論
• 语言的起源
• Principles and parameters
• 先天論
• Universal Networking Language