Words and Rules

Explains the mysteries of language by examining a single construction from lots of viewpoints; the history of language; its simulation by computer neural networks; the errors of children as they begin to speak and others. His single idea is that the essence of language is a mental dictionary of memorized words, and a mental grammar of rules.

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This text answers many questions about the amazing human ability called language. It explains the mysteries of language by examining a single construction from a dozen viewpoints, including the history of language, its simulation by computer neural networks, the use of language as a source of wit and whimsey, the illuminating errors of children as they begin to speak, and the tragic loss of language from neurological disease.