LANGUAGE AND COGNITION GROUP
Theoretical Linguistics:
Theoretical linguistics comprises studies on syntax, semantics, morphology and phonology in natural language. At IITH, we investigate the nature of syntactic, semantic and phonological properties of natural language by looking into their manifestation across languages from formal and philosophical perspectives. In particular, the mathematical and computational properties of natural language syntax, semantics and phonology are examined by probing into issues of universality, interface interactions and modularity of linguistic phenomena, representation and encoding of linguistic structures, and also foundational matters in current linguistic theory.
Language and Cognition:
Language is the sine qua non of the system of cognition. Language connects to the mind in way that is not only unique but also illuminating and enriching for the construction of explicit models of cognition in general. At IITH, our goal is to relate theoretical and empirical issues in linguistic theorizing to foundational issues in cognitive science since the latter issues are indissociably associated with matters of linguistic theory. The issues of particular concern in our research are the relation between language and the nature and form of thought, the computational character of linguistic cognition, the biological basis of language and its cognitive implementation, the nature of semantic representation and its link to cognition, and also the nature and extent of the linguistic encoding of the mind. The Language and Cognition Lab in the Department of Liberal Arts is set to investigate some of the questions in the topics that we explore.