normative
Closed-class words are the glue worth understanding
The small set of 'closed-class' words like 'and', 'or', 'under', 'through', and 'not' are the most important targets for understanding because they are the glue that holds language together and carry the combinatorial structure, even though most research focuses on open-class nouns and verbs.
normativepending
Speaker
David PoeppelEvidence Quote
“the small list of words in all our language, so-called "closed class" items that make it all worthwhile, namely things like "and," "or," "under," "through," "not," and that's where the fun begins... that's actually the glue that holds the stuff together.”
Source
15 | David Poeppel on Thought, Language, and How to Understand the Brain— Sean Carroll's MindscapeCreated: 6/13/2026, 12:19:52 AM
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