The Origins of Complex Language
An Inquiry into the Evolutionary Beginnings of Sentences, Syllables, and Truth
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Product details:
- Publisher OUP Oxford
- Date of Publication 15 April 1999
- ISBN 9780198238218
- Binding Paperback
- No. of pages272 pages
- Size 233x155x16 mm
- Weight 393 g
- Language English
- Illustrations 2 figures and 12 linguistic tree diagrams 0
Categories
Short description:
This book proposes a new theory of the origins of human language ability and presents an original account of the early evolution of language. The author shows what language itself reveals about its own and human origins and evolution. He argues that in certain unexpected ways language does not reflect what it is used for, and that these reveal important clues about its evolutionary origin. His account explains why humans are the only language-using animals, challenges the assumption that language is a consequence of intelligence, and offers a new perspective on human uniqueness. Original in conception, brilliantly executed, stylishly written, this book will attract a wide range of readers interested in the evolution and origins of language.
MoreLong description:
This book proposes a new theory of the origins of human language ability and presents an original account of the early evolution of language. It explains why humans are the only language-using animals, challenges the assumption that language is a consequence of intelligence, and offers a new perspective on human uniqueness.
The author draws on evidence from archaeology, linguistics, cognitive science, and evolutionary biology. Making no assumptions about the reader's prior knowledge he first provides an introductory but critical survey of all sources of evidence for language evolution. He then considers what language itself reveals about its own and human origins and evolution. He shows that certain central aspects of language do not, unexpectedly, reflect what they are used for, are maladapted for their function. He considers why this should be, and argues that these odd aspects of language reveal important clues about its evolutionary origin.
The Origins of Complex Language fulfils the promise of its title. In doing so it turns upside down conventional theories about the relation between cognition and expression, truth and reference, and the co-evolution of mind and body. Original in conception, brilliantly executed, stylishly written, this book will attract a wide range of readers interested in the evolution and origins of language.
This book offers a superb review of recent debates on the origins of language, supported by an exhaustive and up-to-date bibliography. This in itself makes it a worthwhile buy. The scholarship is meticulous, displaying close familiarity with most central controversies in the field
Table of Contents:
Introduction
The peculiarities of language
Truth and reference
Attempts to solve the problems
A different solution
Apes, anthropology, and the brain
Just how unique are we?
Appendix
Further reading
References
Index
