MEANING, CONSTRAINT, AND FREE DISTRIBUTION

The failure to distinguish between meaning and reference is a very old error which fortunately no longer passes undetected. The failure to distinguish between meaning and grammar is anew error whose very novelty may lead to its passing undetected when it appears in a disguised form. Until recently it would have been difficult to cite an example of the new error which was not in some way disguised. But a book just. published has the error in its most naked form. Laszlo Antal (Questions of Meaning1 p. 45) attacks Chomsky's very mild assertion2 that do in did he come? "can hardly be said to have a meaning in any independent sense" as follows

MEANING, CONSTRAINT, AND FREE DISTRIBUTION

The failure to distinguish between meaning and reference is a very old error which fortunately no longer passes undetected. The failure to distinguish between meaning and grammar is anew error whose very novelty may lead to its passing undetected when it appears in a disguised form. Until recently it would have been difficult to cite an example of the new error which was not in some way disguised. But a book just. published has the error in its most naked form. Laszlo Antal (Questions of Meaning1 p. 45) attacks Chomsky's very mild assertion2 that do in did he come? "can hardly be said to have a meaning in any independent sense" as follows

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