Today is the anniversary of two imprtant occasions: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, HI, and the birth of Noam Chomsky. Both may be seen by historians as being of great import. What do the rest of you think?

I suspect Chomsky is mainly known by wordcraft types (what would you describe us as?)...while Pearl Harbor? A big event!

Noam Chomsky changed the face of linguistics. It's because of him that the general public knows what linguistics is.

It's because of him that the general public knows what linguistics is.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you, gooofy. Most of the public has no better idea what linguistics is post-Chomsky than they did pre- or post-Saussure. Most people know Professor Chomsky because of his political views, and some of those know that he is a linguist, but most people think a linguist is a polyglot or a philologist. (A friend used to attend the same synagogue in Philidelphia as the Chomsky family. She still pronounces the professor's surname /'xɑmski/ not /'tʃɑmpski/.)

ha, ok fair enough. How about this: "it's because of him that some people have heard of linguistics"

quote:

Originally posted by zmjezhd:
(A friend used to attend the same synagogue in Philidelphia as the Chomsky family. She still pronounces the professor's surname /'xɑmski/ not /'tʃɑmpski/.)

Since his parents came from Russia, this makes perfect sense to me. The original pronunciation is probably impossible for most of us in the USA or Canada, since we don't have any letters formed in the back of the throat.

As for his political views, you're probably right. I suspect that Manufacturing Consent, a compilation of lectures by Chomsky and Ed Herman, is likely most non-linguists' most recognized work by him. It's on my bookshelf, right alongside Hiyakawa's stuff - and they constantly fight with each other! That's a very tattered part of my bookcase!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: <Asa Lovejoy>,

Since his parents came from Russia, this makes perfect sense to me.

I didn't mean to imply that her pronunciation was incorrect.

I didn't mean to suggest such, zmj. I only meant that we in North America speak with the front and center of the mouth, not with the back or throat, as is done in many European, Slavic, and even non-English British tongues.

English does use the glottal stop which occurs as far back in the throat as possible, i.e., the glottis. But, your point is taken. We tend not to have velar or pharyngeal fricatives. There's a nice picture here of the human vocal tract and the places of articulation.