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Inflectional zero morphology - Linguistic myth or neurocognitive reality?
Maria Alekseeva1, Andriy Myachykov1,2, Yury Shtyrov3
1Centre for Cognition and Decision Making, Higher School of Economics, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Moscow, Russia.
Linguistic theories often lack neurocognitive grounding, particularly concerning abstract concepts like the zero morpheme. Neurobiological research is crucial for understanding the brain basis of such linguistic constructs.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Language knowledge is vital, yet linguistic theories are frequently detached from neurocognitive mechanisms.
- Abstract linguistic concepts, such as the zero morpheme, lack empirical neurobiological support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically examine the theoretical basis and implications of the zero morpheme in linguistics.
- To advocate for neurobiological research to validate or refute the existence of the zero morpheme.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis of linguistic constructs.
- Discussion of the disconnect between abstract linguistic theory and neurocognitive evidence.
Main Results:
- The concept of the zero morpheme, especially the inflectional type, is theoretically problematic and lacks direct empirical evidence.
- Current linguistic theories may incorporate unverified abstract elements.
Conclusions:
- The zero morpheme represents a controversial element in linguistic theory due to its lack of physical expression.
- Neurobiological investigation is essential to determine the cognitive reality of the zero morpheme in language processing.
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