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What linguist argued that all languages have a common structural basis or universal grammar?

A. Noam Chomsky
B. Margaret Mead
C. Deborah Tannen
D. Edward Sapir
E. Benjamin Whorf

User Stripies
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Final answer:

Noam Chomsky argued that all languages share a common structural basis known as universal grammar, which is distinct from the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis on linguistic relativity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The linguist who argued that all languages have a common structural basis or universal grammar is A. Noam Chomsky. Chomsky introduced the concept of a universal grammar, which suggests that underlying all human languages is a common structural foundation. This idea opposes the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which postulates that the language we speak influences our perception of reality and thus encourages different habits of thought. Chomsky's perspective was part of a broader critique of the behaviorist approach to language learning, advocating instead that humans have an innate capacity for language acquisition, embodied in what he termed a Language Acquisition Device (LAD).

User Lee Penkman
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