Journal of the Linguistic Society of Papua New Guinea THE SYNTAX OF SEMANTICS: the basics of building complex structures of meaning (original) (raw)

This paper advocates the use of dialectical analysis (Temple: 2008-2009; 2011; 2012) in the study of language. This method grew out of two major insights: Vygotsky's 'Analysis into Units' (Vygotsky: 1934) and David Hume's Universal Principles of Human Understanding (Hume: 1748). I argue that the properties of the smallest functional units of a complex whole determine their behavior within the system and thus help us understand the behavior of the whole system. Since the smallest units of all human languages (word-meanings) universally possess psycho-physical, social and historical properties, we can extrapolate a number of linguistic universals that apply without exception in all forms of verbal thought (aka human languages). My generalizations about the universal nature, functions and behaviors of word-meanings in use are supported by examples of how the universal 'sinews' of generalization create and hold together meaning at different levels of complexity (word, phrase, sentence, discourse). Having extrapolated a number of linguistic universals from the shared properties of all word-meanings, I attempt to explain the mind-boggling diversity of linguistic forms, and discover that it is also caused by the same universal properties of word-meanings. Using mostly Latvian/Russian examples, I show how variations in physical word structure (morphology), arising from the idiosyncrasies of each 'social Mind' spinning its own 'webs of significance,' have a 'tsunami' effect throughout the syntax of every language. I conclude that, despite the diversity of forms in which associations by resemblance, contiguity and cause/effect are expressed in the grammars of different languages, the basic 'architectural principles' human minds use for building complex structures of meaning are the same in all times and places. Syntax, viewed as ingenious 'technologies' different societies have developed for expressing universal semantic relationships, becomes logically comprehensible. It just may be that a comparative study of the various renditions of generalization in the grammars of different languages may open up new horizons for linguistic analysis.

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