New Books in Philosophy Ryan M. Nefdt, "The Philosophy of Theoretical Linguistics: A Contemporary Outlook" (Cambridge UP, 2024)
Apr 10, 2025
Ryan M. Nefdt, a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cape Town, delves into the intriguing intersections of linguistic theory and philosophy. He examines the 'Goldilocks zone' where syntax, semantics, and pragmatics overlap. Nefdt discusses how context shapes meaning, the evolution of language through a systems biolinguistics lens, and the distinctions between abstract language and specific tongues. He also highlights the interplay between language, thought, and computational models, offering a fresh perspective on the complexities of human communication.
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Neft's Multilingual Journey
- Ryan Neft grew up in South Africa during and after apartheid, experiencing a multilingual society with 11 official languages. - His early fascination with languages led him to philosophy and later to theoretical linguistics, bridging practical and theoretical approaches.
Defining Theoretical Linguistics
- The philosophy of theoretical linguistics sits between studying specific languages and general philosophy of language. - It focuses on language structure, acquisition, evolution, and communication beyond purely abstract notions.
Core Components of Syntax
- Syntax is approached as an explanatory strategy involving rule-boundedness, autonomy from semantics, and recursive hierarchical structure. - Diverse syntactic frameworks, even opposing ones, share these core components in modeling language structure.