Cornell study says brains process language as linear sequences, challenging Chomsky's hierarchy
anirbanbandyo · x · 2026-10-26
A Cornell study challenges the Chomskyan consensus since 1957: instead of hierarchical 'grammar trees' and deep syntactic rules, the brain processes language in real time as linear chunks, predicting the next most logical sequence — much like an LLM. A commenter adds that Indian languages, where rich matrix morphology makes word order carry rhythm rather than context, could serve as a cross-linguistic test of the linear-sequence hypothesis. If it holds, textbook linguistics may need rewriting.
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