Concretely, hierarchical structure in syntax would mirror a basic schema that links agent-only events (вЂњA lashes outвЂќ) to patient-only events (вЂњP hurtsвЂќ) via a notion of вЂњcauseвЂќ in a conceptually hierarchical manner: causes (вЂњA strikes PвЂќ) ( 14, 18). The idea is that syntax represents the generalization of a compositional schema derived from event cognition.

Here, we refer to this as the agency detection hypothesis. Given the curious parallels between how humans perceive events as agent-driven and how languages prioritize agency through grammar, the hypothesis emerges that the evolution of event syntax (i.e., the compositional expression of events in language) has built on this cognitive bias of processing events as component parts ( 14вЂ“ 16). Intriguingly, languages tend to privilege agents in their grammar rules: In most languages, agents are by default placed first, rank highest in syntactic hierarchy, and receive the simplest marking ( 2вЂ“ 6).

Languages differ in how they express this basic structure, but once the rules are known (e.g., word order in English and case markers in Ukrainian), listeners can rapidly and efficiently identify the agent and patient regardless of lexical content. This task is facilitated by the fact that both speaker and listener share the same basic вЂњwho-did-what-to-whomвЂќ structure, conveyed in the sentences of their language. One of the challenges in language comprehension is to reconstruct a compositionally organized event encoded by the speaker with a linear speech stream. Language is largely structured around the description of events ( 1) and allows speakers of any language to communicate not only вЂњwho did whatвЂќ but also вЂњto whom,вЂќ вЂњwhere,вЂќ вЂњwhen,вЂќ or вЂњhow.вЂќ вЂњTom chases the dog,вЂќ вЂњthe monkey stole the sandwich,вЂќ and вЂњthe ball hit the carвЂќ all describe how agents, animate or inanimate (Tom, the monkey, and the ball), interact (chase, steal, and hit) with a patient-like entity (dog, sandwich, and car) in goal-directed ways.

Visual paradigm review