Aphasia as a source of knowledge regarding the functioning of language Cover Image

Afázie jako zdroj poznatků o fungování jazyka
Aphasia as a source of knowledge regarding the functioning of language

Author(s): Helena Lehečková
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies
Published by: AV ČR - Akademie věd České republiky - Ústav pro jazyk český
Keywords: aphasia; agrammatism; typology

Summary/Abstract: The evidence concerning the neurophysiological organization of language can be obtained only indirectly, with one of the most important sources being aphasia. In this paper, I present some results from my long-term neurolinguistic research. First, I survey the manifestation of aphasia in different languages and offer a linguistic interpretation of these data. I argue that it is the typological character of the language which influences the symptoms. My cross-linguistic study showed that the decisive factors for evaluating aphasia in a language are: (a) the number of grammatical words; (b) the way in which grammatical morphemes are connected to the stem; (c) the extent of paradigms. I then focus on the grammatical errors in the spontaneous speech of Czech aphasics and discuss: (1) the distribution of errors among grammatical categories; (2) the hierarchy of forms within each category. Finally, I present a synthesis of the morpho-syntactic aphasic symptoms in Czech. The aim of my work is not only to describe aphasia, but also to shed some light on the functioning of language under aggravated conditions.

  • Issue Year: 70/2009
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 23-35
  • Page Count: 13
  • Language: Czech
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