Semantic and Grammar Categories in Norm and Pathology

Abstract

Categorization is one of the most important human abilities for cognition and reasoning. The categorization process follows a long ontogenetic development with appropriation of both verbal notions and human experience. Abstract notions, including grammar categories appear at the final period of this development. A delayed development of semantic categories is described in special psychology and medicine as mental retardation (olygophrenia) or slow intellectual development. The types and mechanisms of underdevelopment or disturbances of grammar categories are not very clear in spite of their significance for understanding the aphasia, alalia and dysgraphia. The paper analyzes such kinds of grammar categorization disturbances as troubles of words paradigmatic realizing, secondary etymologization and transformations of vocabulary internal structure after cortical and subcortical brain damages as well as in speech development. New experimental methods of study the grammar notions and grammar – semantic relationship are described. The disturbances of grammar notions are explained through an underdevelopment or damages of the metalinguistic function providing a feed-back, the control of own communication and ability to adjust it to communicative expectancies of the others. This function is known as the “linguistic feeling”. We analyze different understanding of this phenomenon, steps of its formation in preschoolers and schoolchildren and its specific disturbances in mentally retarded children with semantic categories lack. 

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