The Emergence and Refinement of Grammars: perspectives from syntax and phonology

本研究是在新涌现主义和三因素语言习得方法的背景下进行的，特别是那些假设完全贫乏的通用语法的方法。该项目旨在进一步探讨语言类别和形式特征是新兴的，作为习得过程的一部分被创造出来并在此过程中被完善的假设在语言习得以及同步性和历时性方面的经验可行性。该项目将从为我的哲学硕士论文中的初步发现提供额外的经验支持开始，我认为获取的证据与将通用语法中的细粒度成人脊柱作为儿童语法出发点的模型不相容。随后，我将从句法习得扩展到音韵学和历时。最近的文献（Klævik-Pettersen & Cournane， 2021年；Vaux， 2022年；Lee & Cournane， 2019年）提供了与理论方法预测一致的案例研究（紧随Bosch， 2022年，正在进行中）。因此，第二个目标是在历时和音韵学中发现类似的例子。总的来说，这篇博士论文将发展我在学士学位和哲学硕士论文中概述的新涌现主义模型（借鉴了Biberauer， 2019年和Biberauer & Roberts， 2015年），并旨在表明“三因素”模型为语言学理论中的持久问题提供了新的见解，例如语言的本体论基础。

This research is set in the context of neo-emergentist and Three Factors approaches to language acquisition, particularlythose that assume a radically impoverished Universal Grammar. The proposed project would aim to probe further theempirical feasibility, in language acquisition and also in synchrony and diachrony, of the hypothesis that linguisticcategories and formal features are emergent, being created as part of the acquisition process and being refined during it.The project would start by providing additional empirical support for the preliminary findings in my MPhil thesis, where Iargue the acquisitional evidence is incompatible with models which take a fine-grained adult-like spine in UniversalGrammar to be the point of departure for child grammars. Subsequently, I would extend inquiry from syntactic acquisitionto phonology and diachrony. Recent literature (Klævik-Pettersen & Cournane, 2021; Vaux, 2022; Lee & Cournane, 2019)has provided case-studies that align with the predictions in the theoretical approach here (which follows Bosch, 2022, inprogress). The second goal would thus be to detect similar examples in diachrony and phonology. Overall, this PhDthesis would develop the neo-emergentist model outlined in my BA and MPhil theses (which draws on Biberauer, 2019,and Biberauer & Roberts, 2015) and would aim to show that "Three Factors" models provide fresh insights into enduringquestions in linguistic theory, such as the ontological bases of language.