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BINARITY OF HEADEDNESS PRINCIPLE IN UNIVERSAL GRAMMAR A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF URDU AND ENGLISH PHRASES

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61 Pages : 476-484

http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2019(IV-I).61      10.31703/gssr.2019(IV-I).61      Published : Mar 1

Binarity of Headedness Principle in Universal Grammar: A Comparative Analysis of Urdu and English Phrases

Abstract

    The binarity of parameters according to which languages differ in their structure is the subject of minimalist program proposed by Noam Chomsky. This article analyses the phrase structure of Urdu in light of the binarity of the headedness principle. 10 participants with equal competency in Urdu and English were distributed a questionnaire containing 3 questions with 2 options in each, with both Urdu and English version of the phrase structure. They were required to tick (🗸) the correct options and cross (x) if they considered any of the options ungrammatical. The responses of the participants confirmed that Urdu conforms to the universal principle of binarity in terms of headedness of phrase structure. It also highlights that the change of position of the head-word in Urdu only causes variation in stress pattern while the phrase remains grammatical in both cases.

    Binarity of Headedness, Phrase Structure, Universal Grammar, Urdu.

    (1) Muhammad Uzair
    Faculty of English Studies, National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad, Pakistan.
    (2) Ubaidullah Khan
    English Language Center, Taif University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
    (3) Shamim Ara Shams
    Department of Linguistics & Literature, Karakoram International University, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan.
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Cite this article

APA

    APA : Uzair, M., Khan, U., & Shams, S. A. (2019). Binarity of Headedness Principle in Universal Grammar: A Comparative Analysis of Urdu and English Phrases. Global Social Sciences Review, IV(I), 476-484. https://doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2019(IV-I).61

CHICAGO

    CHICAGO : Uzair, Muhammad, Ubaidullah Khan, and Shamim Ara Shams. 2019. "Binarity of Headedness Principle in Universal Grammar: A Comparative Analysis of Urdu and English Phrases." Global Social Sciences Review, IV (I): 476-484 doi: 10.31703/gssr.2019(IV-I).61

HARVARD

    HARVARD : UZAIR, M., KHAN, U. & SHAMS, S. A. 2019. Binarity of Headedness Principle in Universal Grammar: A Comparative Analysis of Urdu and English Phrases. Global Social Sciences Review, IV, 476-484.

MHRA

    MHRA : Uzair, Muhammad, Ubaidullah Khan, and Shamim Ara Shams. 2019. "Binarity of Headedness Principle in Universal Grammar: A Comparative Analysis of Urdu and English Phrases." Global Social Sciences Review, IV: 476-484

MLA

    MLA : Uzair, Muhammad, Ubaidullah Khan, and Shamim Ara Shams. "Binarity of Headedness Principle in Universal Grammar: A Comparative Analysis of Urdu and English Phrases." Global Social Sciences Review, IV.I (2019): 476-484 Print.

OXFORD

    OXFORD : Uzair, Muhammad, Khan, Ubaidullah, and Shams, Shamim Ara (2019), "Binarity of Headedness Principle in Universal Grammar: A Comparative Analysis of Urdu and English Phrases", Global Social Sciences Review, IV (I), 476-484

TURABIAN

    TURABIAN : Uzair, Muhammad, Ubaidullah Khan, and Shamim Ara Shams. "Binarity of Headedness Principle in Universal Grammar: A Comparative Analysis of Urdu and English Phrases." Global Social Sciences Review IV, no. I (2019): 476-484. https://doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2019(IV-I).61