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Abstract

Project Mentor(s): Charles X. Li, PhD

This paper presents a biologically grounded and historically informed framework, Biogrammar, as a means to explain grammatical evolution and cognitive processing. It compares Biogrammar with two foundational theories in the study of language: the Nature-Nurture Hypothesis and Chomsky’s Universal Grammar. As a case study, the paper examines the historical evolution of English plural and genitive constructions, focusing on morphological developments such as the -as/-es mergers, his-genitives, group genitives, and the rise of the of + noun phrase pattern. These diachronic changes are interpreted as evidence of grammar functioning as a biologically adaptive system shaped by cognitive constraints and cultural usage. The study further explores how neural mechanisms, especially Broca’s area and the FOXP2 gene, support grammatical processing, as demonstrated by impairments in individuals with Broca’s aphasia. By linking morphological change with neurogenetic evidence, the paper argues that Biogrammar and its companion model, Grammatical Biology, provide a robust, bidirectional account of grammar’s evolution, rooted in the interaction between neural architecture and communicative ecology.

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