Syntactic Aspects of Language Disorders

Abstract

Abstract Sentences convey relationships between the meanings of words, such as who is accomplishing an action or receiving it. These aspects of semantic meaning—collectively known as the propositional content of a sentence—vastly extend the power of language beyond what is available through single words and word formation processes to allow language to represent events and states of affairs. Propositions can be used to update semantic memory, to reason, and for many other purposes, and thus constitute a vital link between language and other cognitive processes.