| English term or phrase: Explanatory Adequacy | This is from an article about the linguistic theories of Dr. Noam Chomsky. Here is the context:
A true universal grammar, Mr. Chomsky argued, must satisfy two conditions. The first requires it to be detailed enough to describe any possible construction in any human language: questions in Navajo, passive sentences in Japanese, relative clauses in Urdu. This is called the condition of "descriptive adequacy."
By contrast, the second condition, known as "explanatory adequacy," required the grammar to be simple enough to reflect the small set of inborn principles that allow humans to acquire and use language. For years, linguistic research was snagged between these two competing demands.
Is there a specific term for this? Thanks! |
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The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +7