Language is endlessly variable. Each of us can come up with an infinite number of sentences in our native language, and we're able to do so from an early age— almost as soon as we start to communicate in sentences. How is this possible? In the early 1950s, Noam Chomsky proposed a theory that the key to this versatility was grammar. Cameron Morin details Chomsky's theory of universal grammar. [Directed by Eoin Duffy, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Sono Sanctus].

Cameron Morin: What do all languages have in common?

What do all languages have in common?

Grammar's role in linguistic versatility: Chomsky's theory suggests our brains are hardwired with universal grammar rules.

Recursion challenges as a universal rule by the Piraha language's lack of recursive structures, questioning Chomsky's theory.

Chomsky's universal grammar theory posits innate rules for all languages, evolving as data reveals linguistic diversity.