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It's not clear what Everett is claiming in his rebuttal. He says Pirahas have no genetic impediment from learning recursive language (Portugese); which supports
by foobarqux 10y ago
It's not clear what Everett is claiming in his rebuttal. He says Pirahas have no genetic impediment from learning recursive language (Portugese); which supports rather than undermines Chomsky's hypothesis.
Then he points out that Pirahas that learn Piraha first before learning Portugese don't use recursive Portugese. What is that observation supposed to suggest when taken together with the previous observation? That you lose the ability to use recursive language when you first learn a linear one? Or simply that you tend to transliterate when you learn a second language?