Transgeneral

Transgeneral is a term used in the field of linguistics and cognitive science to describe a hypothetical language that is not only universal but also transcends the limitations of human language. The concept was introduced by linguist Noam Chomsky in his 1986 book "Knowledge of Language: Its Nature, Origin, and Use." Transgeneral language is posited to be a more abstract and comprehensive system that underlies all human languages. It is believed to contain all the possible linguistic structures and rules that could be used by any language, regardless of the specific phonological, syntactic, or semantic features of that language.

Chomsky suggests that transgeneral language is a mental faculty that is innate and shared by all humans. It is the foundation upon which specific languages are built, and it allows humans to acquire and use language with remarkable ease and efficiency. The transgeneral language hypothesis is a central component of Chomsky's theory of universal grammar, which posits that there are certain universal principles and parameters that govern the structure of all human languages.

However, the concept of transgeneral language is highly theoretical and remains a subject of debate among linguists and cognitive scientists. Critics argue that the idea of a single, universal system that underlies all languages is too simplistic and fails to account for the diversity and complexity of human language. Despite these criticisms, the transgeneral language hypothesis continues to be an influential and thought-provoking idea in the study of language and cognition.