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Rivalry among deep structures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 March 2026

W. Haas
W. Haas*
Affiliation:
University of Manchester
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Abstract

Choice between different but equally informative proposals of ‘deep’ (or ‘underlying‘) structures appears to be arbitrary as well as undesirable. The appearance of rivalry among them is due to misrepresenting, in terms of alternative rules (constraints), what are in fact compatible tendencies. Realization of these tendencies, unlike the operation of rules, depends on specific lexical choice and context. Semantic tendencies operate within the framework of grammatical rules, but are no part of it. It is the freedom of ad-hoc choice among them, rather than any generative mechanism, that constitutes the truly creative aspect of language.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Language , Volume 49 , Issue 2 , June 1973 , pp. 282 - 293
Copyright
Copyright © Linguistic Society of America 1973

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