Advances in Biolinguistics - The Human Language Faculty and Its Biological Basis

In this paper, on the basis of the new dynamic model of language presented
in the following section, it is argued that close attention should be paid to vis-
ibility in order to clarify the role of case, and that the diachronic view of the
English language can provide new clues to solving the quirky subject issues.

3 Dynamic model of language

The standard derivational model of the Minimalist syntax is roughly depicted
in Figure 13.1.
The above model is still controversial regarding where structural case is
assigned and realized. Early versions of the minimalist program assumed that
realized case forms already exist in the Lexicon and are structurally licensed
during the derivational process. On the contrary, the recent versions of the
minimalist program presume that the realization of morphological case exists
in the externalization process required by the SM interface, while case features
are structurally licensed before SPELL-OUT. As mentioned before, such licens-
ing of case features is considered to be epiphenomenal and simply exists for the
rule that case features must be deleted before SPELL-OUT because they are
uninterpretable at the CI Interface. This assumption seems insufficient to give
adequate explanations for case phenomena which have long been widely disputed
from both synchronic and diachronic points of view. Therefore, I propose that
the language model in Figure 13.2 be adopted to explain why case exists.
In this model, the selection of semantic features and their merge is the first
step, which leads to the rise of Language of Thought (LoT) directly connected
to the Conceptual Interface which produces SEM1. On the contrary, Language
of Communication (LoC) required by the Communicative Interface brings forth
SEM2, which contains an interpretation different from that of SEM1.^3 ,^4
The study of language can be divided into the study of linguistic competence
and the study of language use. The target of generative grammar is linguistic
competence whereas language use is mainly dealt with in cognitive grammar,
functional linguistics and sociolinguistics. Competence is closely related to the
universality of languages while use connects to language diversity. It is natural
that linguists on both sides of the issue conflict with one another as they are

LEXICON + NUMERATION

Merge

SPELL-OUT

Morphology

SM CI

Figure 13.1 The Standard Derivation Model.

200 Michio Hosaka