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SUMMARY:Neurocognitive universals in types of morphological process? - Wil
 liam Marslen-Wilson (University of Cambridge)
DTSTART:20121011T160000Z
DTEND:20121011T173000Z
UID:TALK40503@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Alison Biggs
DESCRIPTION:Current research into the neurobiological foundations of human
  language suggests that language function in the modern human is mediated 
 by a coalition of two overlapping systems. A distributed bihemispheric sys
 tem\, largely shared with our primate relatives\, provides a social and in
 terpretative framework for language comprehension\, as well as basic mecha
 nisms for mapping sounds onto lexical meanings. A specialized left hemisph
 ere system\, possibly unique to humans\, supports core combinatorial funct
 ions underpinning morphosyntax. In recent neuroimaging research we have be
 gun to investigate how different types of morphological process (broadly d
 efined as inflectional and derivational) interface with these two systems\
 , and whether this differs across languages.\n\nWorking in English\, Polis
 h\, and Arabic\, we see a common pattern whereby concatenative inflectiona
 l complexity selectively activates the left hemisphere system\, but where 
 these languages diverge for derivational complexity. For both Polish and E
 nglish\, derived forms activate the bihemispheric system but not the left 
 hemisphere system. For Arabic\, where the non-concatenative word pattern m
 orpheme arguably plays both derivational and inflectional roles\, we see s
 elective left hemisphere engagement. This suggests that left hemisphere sy
 stems are specifically engaged when language inputs are decompositionally 
 analysed and represented\, and that this cuts across conventional distinct
 ions between inflectional and derivational linguistic functions.
LOCATION:Bowett Room\, Queens' College
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