In linguistic studies, the term "explanation" does not live up to what the philosophers of science intend it to mean. In these pages, "explanation" is put on firmer theoretical footing via a relation of language to the various contexts in which it is embedded. A detailed analysis of the psychological context in particular shows that language processing provides a fruitful approach to explaining linguistic structure and change.

In linguistic studies, the term "explanation" does not live up to what the philosophers of science intend it to mean. In these pages, "explanation" is put on firmer theoretical footing via a relation of language to the various contexts in which it is embedded. A detailed analysis of the psychological context in particular shows that language processing provides a fruitful approach to explaining linguistic structure and change.