The 'big questions' I focus on:
My research aims to better understand how linguistic information (captured in 'features') mediates between morph(phon)ology (in order to be pronounced; i.e., 'realization') and semantics (in order to be interpreted; i.e., 'denotation'). Simply put, how do these sub-systems fit together into a larger, more cohesive system? How does their interaction with one another, in the form structural representations of different sorts, create natural language as we know it? I seek to gain insight into the relationship that exists between these representations; e.g., how much does phonology or semantics 'know' about morphological structure? My research investigates these questions in both monolingual and bi/multilingual individuals and populations. For a more detailed description of my research program and interests keep reading...
What exactly Is 'Grammar' (and how does it interface with cognition)?
My research seeks to gain insight into how we can best model and investigate the structural properties of human grammars. I have a profound interest in how the general architecture of cognition intersects with grammatical knowledge and performance biases. I view the development of language in individuals, groups, and our species as the development of a complex and dynamic adaptive system. Following Reboul (2017) and others, I espouse a view of language evolution that developed in two steps; first as a self-organizing conceptual system (Language of Thought) that was later exapted for communication (externalization). In line with Dehaene (2014), I envisage the evolution of language primarily as a representational device rather than a communication system, focusing on the brain's primary knack for associating symbols to mental representations. Perhaps Bates et al. (1979:3) sum it up best, stating that "language is a new machine built out of old parts". With respect to grammar, the majority of my work focuses on the structure (syntax and morphology) of language and its intersection with meaning (semantics and pragmatics) and sound (phonology). My research involves the integration of formal/theoretical models with behavioral and experimental techniques. This hybrid approaches allows us, as linguistics and language scientists, to pursue questions of when and where linguistic computation takes place in the mind that was previously unattainable in this field of inquiry. In a nutshell, I study how units of language are assembled and decoded, how/if they are stored as holistic units, and how these units are associated with sound and meaning.
I advocate for a computational system where the processes involved in generating syntactic structure provide the blueprint for determining the shape and scope of morphosyntactic and morphophonological processes. This architecture supports the existence of a Universal Generative Faculty (UGF; Hauser & Watumull, 2017), by which mental representations are produced by means of a finite number of generative procedures. A foundational desideratum of this architecture is that it rejects the primitive status of the Saussurean sign (i.e., 'Constructions', or more recently 'Chunks') and regards such units as second-order objects. A direct result of adopting this theoretical position is that traditionally 'smaller' linguistic units are held to have rather complex internal structure(s). Pursuing a research program that attempts to gain a better understanding of the fine-grained nature of mental representations is motivated by what Poeppel (2017: 164) calls "the desire to identify the smallest, 'primitive' or 'atomic' representations and computations" of our mental existence.
I support an architecture of grammar in which these proposed representations interface with extra-linguistic demands which may influence the acceptability and well-formedness of structures, but, crucially, I assume that domain-general mechanisms and functions alone cannot organize or derive these structures. This position sits well with other 'one-system' approaches according to which "grammatical theories and language processing models describe the same cognitive system" (Murphy 2021:48; see also Marantz 2013, Lewis & Phillips 2015). Such a stance raises interesting questions regarding the status of the architecture of grammar, its relationship to other levels of linguistic information, its interaction with real-time processing demands, and its (in)stability over time with respect to its interface with other domains of grammar.
Investigating the properties of the Mental Lexicon
Earlier in my career I worked predominantly on clause-level phenomena (e.g., the ordering of elements in the middle field (scrambling/object shift), complementation, and filler-gap dependencies, etc.), however the majority of my research has now shifted towards 'word-level' phenomena (although I still broadly consider this 'syntax', or, at the very least, addressing fundamental issues related to the syntax-morphology interface). Questions pertaining to the relationship between syntax and the lexicon take centerstage in these investigations, opening the door to a number of new questions concerning the nature and organization of the mental lexicon. More generally, I'm curious to better understand the conceptualization of 'words' and the various properties commonly associated with these units. Although the notion of 'word' can in principle be defined phonologically, grammatically, and/or semantically, I assume, following Julien (2002) and others, that no word-generating specific elements of grammar exist, and that 'words' are perceived rather than formed. Approaching the structure of 'words' from this perspective provides a nuanced view of phenomena once thought to fall outside of the purview of traditional syntactic analysis.
This architectural approach is commensurate with behavioral and experimental research on the nature of the mental lexicon in both typical and atypical populations. This approach opens the door to research opportunities investigating the tension between computation and storage - including dual-route models (see Embick, Creemers, & Goodwin Davies (2022) and Gwilliams & Marantz (2023) for excellent summaries of decomposition procedures in the mental lexicon) - of morphological properties of language.
Data from Germanic languages and dialects past and present predominantly, but not exclusively, serve as the empirical base for my research. Only through gaining an understanding of variation and developmental areal and typological traits of this language family that existed historically - and which often persist in synchronic varieties to some extent - can we make move towards a better understanding the current state of these languages. Research connecting diachronic developments in this language family with vestigial elements and nuanced structures observed in situations of (intense) language contact stand to reveal new insights into the range and domain of linguistic factors that classify this language family. These findings further shape acquisitional and experimental research on morphological properties of language and the state of the mental lexicon of diverse populations of speakers.
Multilingualism across the lifespan
A core component of my research program explores the acquisition, development, maintenance, and atrophy of multilingual grammars and the impact that these findings have on theoretical claims concerning the faculty of human language. Multilingual speakers force linguists to revisit core claims concerning linguistic representations and their interaction with other cognitive demands. In light of neurolinguistic and psycholinguistic research that makes a strong case for the simultaneous activation of dual/multiple grammars, my research attempts to gain a better understanding of the interaction of different modules of grammar in both on- and off-line tasks. These findings, coupled with my research on the (neo-constructivist) architecture of grammar and its place within a general cognitive domain, make a strong case for the often gradient nature of certain aspects of linguistic outputs, which can most readily be observed in data from bi/multilinguals that exhibit elements from both source grammars (i.e., code-switching and the integration of grammatical elements due to sustained contact), that are anchored and guided by more core operations and design principles.
Language development in contact & heritage contexts
What factors impact the success of L1 and L2 language acquisition? Is it possible that elements of grammar that were once acquired can be lost later in life? Are there particular domains of grammar that are more vulnerable to change and potential decay across the lifespan? These are some of the foundational questions concerning language acquisition, language attrition, and other domains of contact-induced change. Unbalanced bi/multilinguals, also commonly referred to as heritage language speakers, present interesting and unique challenges to gaining a better holistic understanding of the factors that shape language acquisition, and conversely, language attrition.
I have a special interest in global varieties of heritage German and related languages (such as heritage Icelandic & Norwegian), and the challenging questions they pose to linguists. Most remaining speakers of these varieties of heritage German(ic) are elderly and represent the final proficient generation of speakers, hence cognitive aging is an additional factor we consider in our research. This research provides strong support for the relative robustness, complexity, and high functionality of these grammars, which forces us to revisit traditional narratives of language acquisition, language loss, and attrition. Detailed investigation of these grammars can inform us about the structural consequences of language acquisition under conditions of differential qualitative and quantitative input and subsequent attrition processes. Unfortunately, there are few remaining speakers of these varieties, however, their lasting contribution to linguistic inquiry cannot be overstated.
In addition to moribund heritage varieties of German(ic), I research the grammars of Anabaptist languages, e.g., Plautdietsch (a.k.a. Mennonite Low German), Pennsylvania Dutch, and Hutterite German (Hutterisch). Research on these Anabaptist languages presents exciting and unique opportunities to examine the structural consequences of extended (in the sense of centuries) contact with a sociolinguistic-dominant L2 (such as English) and the impact that these findings may have in shaping our understanding of microvariation and language change & maintenance. I am intimately interested in the variation that exists across different varieties of Pennsylvania Dutch, which a special interest in the mental lexicon across time and space. The combined research on the grammars of the speakers of these languages point to robust grammatical systems in which observed changes are tightly constrained and conservative in nature.
- How do elements of sound, meaning, and structure intersect and combine with one another?
- How do notions such as categories, words, and constructions emerge over time? How can we capture and model their dynamic and variant nature in a restrictive, internally-constrained system?
- How do bi/multilinguals juggle these patterns and preferences, (especially in naturalistic (contact) settings)?
- What lessons can we learn through the intense study of contact varieties of a particular language family across time and space?
- How can formal/theoretical models interface with behavioral and experimental techniques in cognitive neuroscience? How can we best investigate these issues in real-time?
My research aims to better understand how linguistic information (captured in 'features') mediates between morph(phon)ology (in order to be pronounced; i.e., 'realization') and semantics (in order to be interpreted; i.e., 'denotation'). Simply put, how do these sub-systems fit together into a larger, more cohesive system? How does their interaction with one another, in the form structural representations of different sorts, create natural language as we know it? I seek to gain insight into the relationship that exists between these representations; e.g., how much does phonology or semantics 'know' about morphological structure? My research investigates these questions in both monolingual and bi/multilingual individuals and populations. For a more detailed description of my research program and interests keep reading...
What exactly Is 'Grammar' (and how does it interface with cognition)?
My research seeks to gain insight into how we can best model and investigate the structural properties of human grammars. I have a profound interest in how the general architecture of cognition intersects with grammatical knowledge and performance biases. I view the development of language in individuals, groups, and our species as the development of a complex and dynamic adaptive system. Following Reboul (2017) and others, I espouse a view of language evolution that developed in two steps; first as a self-organizing conceptual system (Language of Thought) that was later exapted for communication (externalization). In line with Dehaene (2014), I envisage the evolution of language primarily as a representational device rather than a communication system, focusing on the brain's primary knack for associating symbols to mental representations. Perhaps Bates et al. (1979:3) sum it up best, stating that "language is a new machine built out of old parts". With respect to grammar, the majority of my work focuses on the structure (syntax and morphology) of language and its intersection with meaning (semantics and pragmatics) and sound (phonology). My research involves the integration of formal/theoretical models with behavioral and experimental techniques. This hybrid approaches allows us, as linguistics and language scientists, to pursue questions of when and where linguistic computation takes place in the mind that was previously unattainable in this field of inquiry. In a nutshell, I study how units of language are assembled and decoded, how/if they are stored as holistic units, and how these units are associated with sound and meaning.
I advocate for a computational system where the processes involved in generating syntactic structure provide the blueprint for determining the shape and scope of morphosyntactic and morphophonological processes. This architecture supports the existence of a Universal Generative Faculty (UGF; Hauser & Watumull, 2017), by which mental representations are produced by means of a finite number of generative procedures. A foundational desideratum of this architecture is that it rejects the primitive status of the Saussurean sign (i.e., 'Constructions', or more recently 'Chunks') and regards such units as second-order objects. A direct result of adopting this theoretical position is that traditionally 'smaller' linguistic units are held to have rather complex internal structure(s). Pursuing a research program that attempts to gain a better understanding of the fine-grained nature of mental representations is motivated by what Poeppel (2017: 164) calls "the desire to identify the smallest, 'primitive' or 'atomic' representations and computations" of our mental existence.
I support an architecture of grammar in which these proposed representations interface with extra-linguistic demands which may influence the acceptability and well-formedness of structures, but, crucially, I assume that domain-general mechanisms and functions alone cannot organize or derive these structures. This position sits well with other 'one-system' approaches according to which "grammatical theories and language processing models describe the same cognitive system" (Murphy 2021:48; see also Marantz 2013, Lewis & Phillips 2015). Such a stance raises interesting questions regarding the status of the architecture of grammar, its relationship to other levels of linguistic information, its interaction with real-time processing demands, and its (in)stability over time with respect to its interface with other domains of grammar.
Investigating the properties of the Mental Lexicon
Earlier in my career I worked predominantly on clause-level phenomena (e.g., the ordering of elements in the middle field (scrambling/object shift), complementation, and filler-gap dependencies, etc.), however the majority of my research has now shifted towards 'word-level' phenomena (although I still broadly consider this 'syntax', or, at the very least, addressing fundamental issues related to the syntax-morphology interface). Questions pertaining to the relationship between syntax and the lexicon take centerstage in these investigations, opening the door to a number of new questions concerning the nature and organization of the mental lexicon. More generally, I'm curious to better understand the conceptualization of 'words' and the various properties commonly associated with these units. Although the notion of 'word' can in principle be defined phonologically, grammatically, and/or semantically, I assume, following Julien (2002) and others, that no word-generating specific elements of grammar exist, and that 'words' are perceived rather than formed. Approaching the structure of 'words' from this perspective provides a nuanced view of phenomena once thought to fall outside of the purview of traditional syntactic analysis.
This architectural approach is commensurate with behavioral and experimental research on the nature of the mental lexicon in both typical and atypical populations. This approach opens the door to research opportunities investigating the tension between computation and storage - including dual-route models (see Embick, Creemers, & Goodwin Davies (2022) and Gwilliams & Marantz (2023) for excellent summaries of decomposition procedures in the mental lexicon) - of morphological properties of language.
Data from Germanic languages and dialects past and present predominantly, but not exclusively, serve as the empirical base for my research. Only through gaining an understanding of variation and developmental areal and typological traits of this language family that existed historically - and which often persist in synchronic varieties to some extent - can we make move towards a better understanding the current state of these languages. Research connecting diachronic developments in this language family with vestigial elements and nuanced structures observed in situations of (intense) language contact stand to reveal new insights into the range and domain of linguistic factors that classify this language family. These findings further shape acquisitional and experimental research on morphological properties of language and the state of the mental lexicon of diverse populations of speakers.
Multilingualism across the lifespan
A core component of my research program explores the acquisition, development, maintenance, and atrophy of multilingual grammars and the impact that these findings have on theoretical claims concerning the faculty of human language. Multilingual speakers force linguists to revisit core claims concerning linguistic representations and their interaction with other cognitive demands. In light of neurolinguistic and psycholinguistic research that makes a strong case for the simultaneous activation of dual/multiple grammars, my research attempts to gain a better understanding of the interaction of different modules of grammar in both on- and off-line tasks. These findings, coupled with my research on the (neo-constructivist) architecture of grammar and its place within a general cognitive domain, make a strong case for the often gradient nature of certain aspects of linguistic outputs, which can most readily be observed in data from bi/multilinguals that exhibit elements from both source grammars (i.e., code-switching and the integration of grammatical elements due to sustained contact), that are anchored and guided by more core operations and design principles.
Language development in contact & heritage contexts
What factors impact the success of L1 and L2 language acquisition? Is it possible that elements of grammar that were once acquired can be lost later in life? Are there particular domains of grammar that are more vulnerable to change and potential decay across the lifespan? These are some of the foundational questions concerning language acquisition, language attrition, and other domains of contact-induced change. Unbalanced bi/multilinguals, also commonly referred to as heritage language speakers, present interesting and unique challenges to gaining a better holistic understanding of the factors that shape language acquisition, and conversely, language attrition.
I have a special interest in global varieties of heritage German and related languages (such as heritage Icelandic & Norwegian), and the challenging questions they pose to linguists. Most remaining speakers of these varieties of heritage German(ic) are elderly and represent the final proficient generation of speakers, hence cognitive aging is an additional factor we consider in our research. This research provides strong support for the relative robustness, complexity, and high functionality of these grammars, which forces us to revisit traditional narratives of language acquisition, language loss, and attrition. Detailed investigation of these grammars can inform us about the structural consequences of language acquisition under conditions of differential qualitative and quantitative input and subsequent attrition processes. Unfortunately, there are few remaining speakers of these varieties, however, their lasting contribution to linguistic inquiry cannot be overstated.
In addition to moribund heritage varieties of German(ic), I research the grammars of Anabaptist languages, e.g., Plautdietsch (a.k.a. Mennonite Low German), Pennsylvania Dutch, and Hutterite German (Hutterisch). Research on these Anabaptist languages presents exciting and unique opportunities to examine the structural consequences of extended (in the sense of centuries) contact with a sociolinguistic-dominant L2 (such as English) and the impact that these findings may have in shaping our understanding of microvariation and language change & maintenance. I am intimately interested in the variation that exists across different varieties of Pennsylvania Dutch, which a special interest in the mental lexicon across time and space. The combined research on the grammars of the speakers of these languages point to robust grammatical systems in which observed changes are tightly constrained and conservative in nature.