Book contents
- Language Rules!
- Language Rules!
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures and Table
- Foreword
- Prologue
- 1 The Fallacy of Flat Language
- 2 Language Rules Are Not Linear
- 3 Beyond English
- 4 The “Unsolvable” Puzzle
- 5 The Riddle of “DL”
- 6 Sign Languages
- 7 Chunking in Action
- 8 Is Language Innate?
- 9 Language in the Genes
- 10 How Animals Communicate
- 11 Can Apes Learn Language?
- 12 Back to Humans: Language Teaching
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
- Glossary
- Index
3 - Beyond English
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 May 2026
Book contents
- Language Rules!
- Language Rules!
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures and Table
- Foreword
- Prologue
- 1 The Fallacy of Flat Language
- 2 Language Rules Are Not Linear
- 3 Beyond English
- 4 The “Unsolvable” Puzzle
- 5 The Riddle of “DL”
- 6 Sign Languages
- 7 Chunking in Action
- 8 Is Language Innate?
- 9 Language in the Genes
- 10 How Animals Communicate
- 11 Can Apes Learn Language?
- 12 Back to Humans: Language Teaching
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
- Glossary
- Index
Summary
This chapter continues with the themes in the previous two chapters but applies the same concepts to languages other than English. In particular, languages that at first glance present a possible counterexample to the idea of non-linearity of language are considered. It is shown that even languages as varied as Irish Gaelic, Malagasy, and Warlpiri follow the same non-linear principles discussed throughout the book.
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- Language Rules!Secrets of a Uniquely Human Ability, pp. 42 - 63Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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