The Evolution Of Language

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The Evolution of Language

W. Tecumseh Fitch
The Evolution of Language Book PDF

Author : W. Tecumseh Fitch
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2010-04-01
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9781139487061

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The Evolution of Language by W. Tecumseh Fitch Pdf

Language, more than anything else, is what makes us human. It appears that no communication system of equivalent power exists elsewhere in the animal kingdom. Any normal human child will learn a language based on rather sparse data in the surrounding world, while even the brightest chimpanzee, exposed to the same environment, will not. Why not? How, and why, did language evolve in our species and not in others? Since Darwin's theory of evolution, questions about the origin of language have generated a rapidly-growing scientific literature, stretched across a number of disciplines, much of it directed at specialist audiences. The diversity of perspectives - from linguistics, anthropology, speech science, genetics, neuroscience and evolutionary biology - can be bewildering. Tecumseh Fitch cuts through this vast literature, bringing together its most important insights to explore one of the biggest unsolved puzzles of human history.

The Evolution of Language Out of Pre-language

Talmy Givón,Bertram F. Malle
The Evolution of Language Out of Pre language Book PDF

Author : Talmy Givón,Bertram F. Malle
Publisher : John Benjamins Publishing
Page : 410 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2002-01-01
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9027229597

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The Evolution of Language Out of Pre-language by Talmy Givón,Bertram F. Malle Pdf

The contributors to this volume are linguists, psychologists, neuroscientists, primatologists, and anthropologists who share the assumption that language, just as mind and brain, are products of biological evolution. The rise of human language is not viewed as a serendipitous mutation that gave birth to a unique linguistic organ, but as a gradual, adaptive extension of pre-existing mental capacities and brain structures. The contributors carefully study brain mechanisms, diachronic change, language acquisition, and the parallels between cognitive and linguistic structures to weave a web of hypotheses and suggestive empirical findings on the origins of language and the connections of language to other human capacities. The chapters discuss brain pathways that support linguistic processing; origins of specific linguistic features in temporal and hierarchical structures of the mind; the possible co-evolution of language and the reasoning about mental states; and the aspects of language learning that may serve as models of evolutionary change.

Grooming, Gossip and the Evolution of Language

Robin Dunbar
Grooming Gossip and the Evolution of Language Book PDF

Author : Robin Dunbar
Publisher : Faber & Faber
Page : 353 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 2011-04-07
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9780571265183

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Grooming, Gossip and the Evolution of Language by Robin Dunbar Pdf

Did mankind evolve unusually large brains simply in order to gossip? Primates differ from other animals by the intensity of their social relationships, by the amount of time they spend grooming one another. Not just a matter of hygiene, grooming is all about cementing bonds, making friends and influencing your fellow ape. Early humans, in their characteristic large groups of 150 or so, would have had to spend almost half their time in mutual grooming. Instead, Professor Robin Dunbar argues, they evolved a more efficient mechanism: language. It seems there is nothing idle about idle chatter. Having a good gossip ensures that a dynamic group - of hunter-gatherers, soldiers, workmates - remains cohesive.Men and women 'gossip' equally, but men tend to talk about themselves, while women talk more about other people, working to strengthen the female-female relationships that underpin both human and primate societies. Until now, most anthropologists have assumed that language developed in male-male relationships, during activities such as hunting. Dunbar's intriguing research suggests that, to the contrary, language evolved among women.

Why Only Us

Robert C. Berwick,Noam Chomsky
Why Only Us Book PDF

Author : Robert C. Berwick,Noam Chomsky
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 229 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2017-05-12
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9780262533492

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Why Only Us by Robert C. Berwick,Noam Chomsky Pdf

Berwick and Chomsky draw on recent developments in linguistic theory to offer an evolutionary account of language and humans' remarkable, species-specific ability to acquire it. “A loosely connected collection of four essays that will fascinate anyone interested in the extraordinary phenomenon of language.” —New York Review of Books We are born crying, but those cries signal the first stirring of language. Within a year or so, infants master the sound system of their language; a few years after that, they are engaging in conversations. This remarkable, species-specific ability to acquire any human language—“the language faculty”—raises important biological questions about language, including how it has evolved. This book by two distinguished scholars—a computer scientist and a linguist—addresses the enduring question of the evolution of language. Robert Berwick and Noam Chomsky explain that until recently the evolutionary question could not be properly posed, because we did not have a clear idea of how to define “language” and therefore what it was that had evolved. But since the Minimalist Program, developed by Chomsky and others, we know the key ingredients of language and can put together an account of the evolution of human language and what distinguishes us from all other animals. Berwick and Chomsky discuss the biolinguistic perspective on language, which views language as a particular object of the biological world; the computational efficiency of language as a system of thought and understanding; the tension between Darwin's idea of gradual change and our contemporary understanding about evolutionary change and language; and evidence from nonhuman animals, in particular vocal learning in songbirds.

Experiments in Cultural Language Evolution

Luc Steels
Experiments in Cultural Language Evolution Book PDF

Author : Luc Steels
Publisher : John Benjamins Publishing
Page : 319 pages
File Size : 50,9 Mb
Release : 2012
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9789027204561

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Experiments in Cultural Language Evolution by Luc Steels Pdf

Explores the cultural side of language evolution. This book proposes a framework based on linguistic selection and self-organization. It investigates how particular types of language systems can emerge in the population of language game playing agents and how they can continue to evolve in order to cope with changes in ecological conditions.

Approaches to the Evolution of Language

James R. Hurford,Michael Studdert-Kennedy,Chris Knight
Approaches to the Evolution of Language Book PDF

Author : James R. Hurford,Michael Studdert-Kennedy,Chris Knight
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 460 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 1998-09-17
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 0521639646

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Approaches to the Evolution of Language by James R. Hurford,Michael Studdert-Kennedy,Chris Knight Pdf

This book considers language within the framework of modern evolutionary theory, emphasising its social bases.

The Biology and Evolution of Language

Philip Lieberman
The Biology and Evolution of Language Book PDF

Author : Philip Lieberman
Publisher : Harvard University Press
Page : 398 pages
File Size : 52,9 Mb
Release : 1984
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 0674074130

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The Biology and Evolution of Language by Philip Lieberman Pdf

This book synthesizes much of the exciting recent research in the biology of language. Drawing on data from anatomy, neurophysiology, physiology, and behavioral biology, Philip Lieberman develops a new approach to the puzzle of language, arguing that it is the result of many evolutionary compromises. Within his discussion, Lieberman skillfully addresses matters as various as the theory of neoteny (which he refutes), the mating calls of bullfrogs, ape language, dyslexia, and computer-implemented models of the brain.

The Evolution of Human Language

Wolfgang Wildgen
The Evolution of Human Language Book PDF

Author : Wolfgang Wildgen
Publisher : John Benjamins Publishing
Page : 254 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 2004-06-30
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9789027295453

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The Evolution of Human Language by Wolfgang Wildgen Pdf

Wolfgang Wildgen presents three perspectives on the evolution of language as a key element in the evolution of mankind in terms of the development of human symbol use. (1) He approaches this question by constructing possible scenarios in which mechanisms necessary for symbolic behavior could have developed, on the basis of the state of the art in evolutionary anthropology and genetics. (2) Non-linguistic symbolic behavior such as cave art is investigated as an important clue to the developmental background to the origin of language. Creativity and innovation and a population's ability to integrate individual experiments are considered with regard to historical examples of symbolic creativity in the visual arts and natural sciences. (3) Probable linguistic 'fossils' of such linguistic innovations are examined. The results of this study allow for new proposals for a 'protolanguage' and for a theory of language within a broader philosophical and semiotic framework, and raises interesting questions as to human consciousness, universal grammar, and linguistic methodology. (Series B)

Simulating the Evolution of Language

Angelo Cangelosi,Domenico Parisi
Simulating the Evolution of Language Book PDF

Author : Angelo Cangelosi,Domenico Parisi
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 350 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2012-12-06
Category : Computers
ISBN : 9781447106630

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Simulating the Evolution of Language by Angelo Cangelosi,Domenico Parisi Pdf

This book is the first to provide a comprehensive survey of the computational models and methodologies used for studying the evolution and origin of language and communication. Comprising contributions from the most influential figures in the field, it presents and summarises the state-of-the-art in computational approaches to language evolution, and highlights new lines of development. Essential reading for researchers and students in the fields of evolutionary and adaptive systems, language evolution modelling and linguistics, it will also be of interest to researchers working on applications of neural networks to language problems. Furthermore, due to the fact that language evolution models use multi-agent methodologies, it will also be of great interest to computer scientists working on multi-agent systems, robotics and internet agents.

The Unfolding Of Language

Guy Deutscher
The Unfolding Of Language Book PDF

Author : Guy Deutscher
Publisher : Random House
Page : 368 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2010-03-30
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9781407070285

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The Unfolding Of Language by Guy Deutscher Pdf

'A persuasive and beautifully written take on how languages are constantly evolving... an enthralling read about human psychology and anthropology as well as linguistics.' ALEX BELLOS ___________________________________ 'Language is mankind's greatest invention - except of course, that it was never invented'. So begins Guy Deutscher's fascinating investigation into the evolution of language. No one believes that the Roman Senate sat down one day to design the complex system that is Latin grammar, and few believe, these days, in the literal truth of the story of the Tower of Babel. But then how did there come to be so many languages, and of such elaborate design? If we started off with rudimentary utterances on the level of 'man throw spear', how did we end up with sophisticated grammars, enormous vocabularies, and intricately nuanced shades of meaning? Drawing on recent, groundbreaking discoveries in modern linguistics, Deutscher exposes the elusive forces of creation at work in human communication. Along the way, we learn why German maidens are neuter while German turnips are female, why we have feet not foots, and how great changes in pronunciation may result from simple laziness... _____________________ 'Powerful and thrilling' SPECTATOR 'Really ought to be read by anyone who persists in complaining that the English language is going to the dogs' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'I was enthralled' A.S. Byatt, for GUARDIAN 'Books of the Year' 'Highly original... clever and convincing... this book will stretch your mind' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 'Fascinating' BOSTON GLOBE

The Evolution of Human Language

Richard K. Larson,Viviane Déprez,Hiroko Yamakido
The Evolution of Human Language Book PDF

Author : Richard K. Larson,Viviane Déprez,Hiroko Yamakido
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 280 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2010-01-07
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 0521736250

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The Evolution of Human Language by Richard K. Larson,Viviane Déprez,Hiroko Yamakido Pdf

The way language as a human faculty has evolved is a question that preoccupies researchers from a wide spread of disciplines. In this book, a team of writers has been brought together to examine the evolution of language from a variety of such standpoints, including language's genetic basis, the anthropological context of its appearance, its formal structure, its relation to systems of cognition and thought, as well as its possible evolutionary antecedents. The book includes Hauser, Chomsky, and Fitch's seminal and provocative essay on the subject, 'The Faculty of Language,' and charts the progress of research in this active and highly controversial field since its publication in 2002. This timely volume will be welcomed by researchers and students in a number of disciplines, including linguistics, evolutionary biology, psychology, and cognitive science.

Origins of Language

Sverker Johansson
Origins of Language Book PDF

Author : Sverker Johansson
Publisher : John Benjamins Publishing
Page : 359 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2005-02-17
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9789027294609

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Origins of Language by Sverker Johansson Pdf

Sverker Johansson has written an unusual book on language origins, with its emphasis on empirical evidence rather than theory-building. This is a book for the student or researcher who prefers solid data and well-supported conclusions, over speculative scenarios. Much that has been written on the origins of language is characterized by hypothesizing largely unconstrained by evidence. But empirical data do exist, and the purpose of this book is to integrate and review the available evidence from all relevant disciplines, not only linguistics but also, e.g., neurology, primatology, paleoanthropology, and evolutionary biology. The evidence is then used to constrain the multitude of scenarios for language origins, demonstrating that many popular hypotheses are untenable. Among the issues covered: (1) Human evolutionary history, (2) Anatomical prerequisites for language, (3) Animal communication and ape "language", (4) Mind and language, (5) The role of gesture, (6) Innateness, (7) Selective advantage of language, (8) Proto-language.

Ideophones and the Evolution of Language

John Haiman
Ideophones and the Evolution of Language Book PDF

Author : John Haiman
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 395 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2018-01-11
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9781107069602

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Ideophones and the Evolution of Language by John Haiman Pdf

This book argues that ideophones provide the 'missing link' in our knowledge of how communication has evolved to become the spoken language of today.

The Oxford Handbook of Language Evolution

Maggie Tallerman,Kathleen R. Gibson
The Oxford Handbook of Language Evolution Book PDF

Author : Maggie Tallerman,Kathleen R. Gibson
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 790 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2012
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9780199541119

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The Oxford Handbook of Language Evolution by Maggie Tallerman,Kathleen R. Gibson Pdf

Leading scholars present critical accounts of every aspect of the field, including work in animal behaviour; anatomy, genetics and neurology; the prehistory of language; the development of our uniquely linguistic species; and language creation, transmission, and change.

The Origin of Speech

Peter F. MacNeilage
The Origin of Speech Book PDF

Author : Peter F. MacNeilage
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 402 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2010
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9780199581580

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The Origin of Speech by Peter F. MacNeilage Pdf

This book explores the origin and evolution of speech. The human speech system is in a league of its own in the animal kingdom and its possession dwarfs most other evolutionary achievements. During every second of speech we unconsciously use about 225 distinct muscle actions. To investigate the evolutionary origins of this prodigious ability, Peter MacNeilage draws on work in linguistics, cognitive science, evolutionary biology, and animal behavior. He puts forward a neo-Darwinian account of speech as a process of descent in which ancestral vocal capabilities became modified in response to natural selection pressures for more efficient communication. His proposals include the crucial observation that present-day infants learning to produce speech reveal constraints that were acting on our ancestors as they invented new words long ago. This important and original investigation integrates the latest research on modern speech capabilities, their acquisition, and their neurobiology, including the issues surrounding the cerebral hemispheric specialization for speech. Written in a clear style with minimal recourse to jargon the book will interest a wide range of readers in cognitive, neuro-, and evolutionary science, as well as all those seeking to understand the nature and evolution of speech and human communication.