Capacity Quote by Noam Chomsky
“I haven't seen any claim that Piraha lacks recursion, that is, that there are a finite number of sentences or sentence frames. If that's so, it would mean that the speakers of this language aren't making use of a capacity that they surely have, a normal situation; plenty of people throughout history would drown if they fall into water.”
About This Quote
Source Lecture: Language and Mind, Noam Chomsky, 1995
The quote argues that Piraha speakers likely possess recursive language ability despite lacking evidence, suggesting they have untapped cognitive capacity similar to universal human potential.
In simple terms: Piraha may have recursion like other languages.
Key Takeaway
Recognize hidden linguistic abilities in understudied languages.
Themes
lingistics
cognition
universality
Mood
analytical
inquisitive
Type
theoretical
academic
When to use this quote
- field research
- language documentation
- cross‑cultural studies
Key Concepts
Recursion
language capacity
cognitive potential
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we test recursion in Piraha?
- What are the implications if recursion is absent?
A Different Perspective
Assumes recursion without direct evidence; may overgeneralize.
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