Language, Verbs, and How Our Brains Work

"Why Has Steven Pinker Studied Verbs for 20 Years? / The rules of language may reveal how our brains really work."

I found this a fascinating read, for two reasons.

First, Pinker has been systematically studying language, verbs in particular. He's found what he thinks is a connection between language and 'hardwired' circuits in the brain. I learned, a few decades ago, that languages that develop in places all around the world, where children from families speaking different languages live and play together have a fairly consistent syntax: and that this common syntax is similar to English's. Which isn't too surprising, considering that English developed on part of an island invaded by

• Romans
• Picts and Scots
• Angles, Frisians, Jutes, and Saxons
• Vikings
• Normans (French-speaking Vikings)

... with the local language and invaders' languages being pureed in the blender of time. At the time, I thought this suggested, strongly, that there might be something in the structure of the human brain that affected how our languages work.

Second, by suggesting that human language is, in part, 'hardwired,' Pinker is implying that human beings are not born as blank slates. This brings up the old nature/nurture debate. And, brings into question the belief of society's more rarefied strata in the perfectibility of humanity.

Facts can have hard, sharp, edges: but I think they're good for us.