Although descriptive linguistics is still in a developing stage, and disagreements exist as to particular details of analysis, it has in the last few decades developed certain basic principles of procedure which are generally accepted. The resultant method attempts to approach in rigor those of other fields of science. These principles are: (1) Reliance on the observable, physical data: any conclusions about the language are induced from them. (2) An adequate and efficient accounting for all the observable facts of the language. (3) Explicitly stated assumptions and definitions to be consistently followed.
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