Pronoun problem

Question

pronoun problemThe passage below is from ‘the Blank Slate’ by Steven Pinker.http://evolbiol.ru/blankslate/blankslate.htm As linguists have long known, sign languages are organized much like spoken languages. They use words, a grammar, and even phonological rules that combine meaningless gestures into meaningful signs, just as phonological rules in spoken languages combine meaningless sounds into meaningful words. Spoken languages, moreover, are partly modular: the representations for words and rules can be distinguished from the input-output systems that connect them to the ears and the mouth. I'd like to ask a question regarding the underlined 'them'.It seems to refer to 'representations' in a way, and also 'words and rules' in another. (Now I think it should somehow represent 'representations', though.)Regards.

Wilpeter · Accepted Answer

I hesitate to suggest that to me, it appears that "them" refers to the input-output systems (ears being input, and mouth being output).

CalifJim · Answer

Stenka25the representations for words and rules can be distinguished from the input-output systems that connect them to the ears and the mouth.

them = representations

And, since "for words and rules" is connected as a modifier of "representations"

them = representations for words and rules
_____________

He is saying that input-output systems connect these representations to the ears and the mouth, so the representations reside in the brain. The input system connects the representations from the ears to the brain; the output system connects the representations from the brain to the mouth.

He's also saying that the representations are not identical to the input-output systems. These two things are two distinct things (distinguishable things). I assume he's referring to the representations as stored information in the brain and the input-output systems as "machines in the brain" that translate between the representations and the actual words that are heard or spoken.

CJ

Stenka25 · Answer

Thanks a lot as always, CJ.
(I made an additional question for this thread, and when I tried to post it.
I saw your answer that cleared up everything. No need to the added question.
Thanks a million

)

Pronoun problem

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