唯递归论的跨语言比较述评

A review and commentary on cross-language comparison of recursion-only claim

递归是语言机能的本质属性,语言中局部非递归成分不能改变语言递归的本质属性。语言物种特质必然要求生物演化解释,唯递归论极大促进了语言演化研究。本文在综述有关唯递归论的跨语言比较研究的基础上,指出人类处理自然语言时的存贮策略、计算策略和工作记忆等个体差异因素不构成语言递归的否定证据,语言生态多样性要求生物普遍性解释和演化充分性原则,语言演化研究不受目的论的干扰和束缚,并需满足新的方法要求。

Recursion is the fundamental property of language faculty.Some non-recursive language constructions cannot alter the recursive property of language.The species property of human language demands an evolutionary biological explanation.The recursion-only claim dramatically accelerates the research of language evolution.The paper,based on the various comparative evidences about the recursion-only claim,points out that individual differences in storage strategy,computation strategy and working memory during natural language processing cannot be negative evidences against recursion.Diversity in language ecology calls for a bio-universal explication and an evolution-sufficiency principle.The study of language evolution rejects interference and constrains of teleology,but must meet the requirements of new methodology.