PDF-(READ)-The Origins of Grammar: Language in the Light of Evolution II (Oxford Studies in

This is the second of the two closely linked but selfcontained volumes that comprise James Hurfords acclaimed exploration of the biological evolution of language In the first book he looked at the evolutionary origins of meaning ending as our distant ancestors were about to step over the brink to modern language He now considers how that step might have been taken and the consequences it undoubtedly had The capacity for language lets human beings formulate and express an unlimited range of propositions about real or fictitious worlds It allows them to communicate these propositions often overlaid with layers of nuance and irony to other humans who can then interpret and respond to them These processes take place at breakneck speed Using a language means learning a vast number of arbitrary connections between forms and meanings and rules on how to manipulate them both of which a normal human child can do in its first few years of life James Hurford looks at how this miracle came about The book is divided into three parts In the first the author surveys the syntactic structures evident in the communicative behaviour of animals such as birds and whales and discusses how vocabularies of learned symbols could have evolved and the effects this had on human thought In the second he considers how far the evolution of grammar depended on biological or cultural factors In the third and final part he describes the probable route by which the human language faculty and languages evolved from simple beginnings to their present complex state. Jordan Zlatev. Lecture 9. Controversies and hypotheses. 1. Controversies. What is language (again!)?. When language evolved?. How it evolved. ?. Why it evolved. ? . (Lecture 10). Can language evolution be divided in “stages”? Which? . Richard Hudson. Royal Grammar School, Guildford. May 2014. 1. My main points. ‘Language’ includes English as well as Foreign. Linguistics is the science of language. Linguistics can be. i. nteresting. Jordan Zlatev. Lecture 5. Body and brain for language. 1. Projects. Spell out your main question(s). Make sure that it is relevant to language origins!. Define your main terms: “language”, “gesture”, “cognition”, “adaptation”, “culture” – at least provisionally. to . Language Evolution: Contact, competition and change. Salikoko S. Mufwene. University of Chicago. Language Endangerment: From . The Ecology of Language Evolution. to date. … still an embarrassing subject matter for linguistics. While evolutionary ideas in one form or another trace back to the ancient Greeks, it was not until 18. th. century that they became scientifically prominent and were connected to psychology. Georges de Buffon . While evolutionary ideas in one form or another trace back to the ancient Greeks, it was not until 18. th. century that they became scientifically prominent and were connected to psychology. Georges de Buffon . Lecture 5. Body and brain for language. 1. Projects. Spell out your main question(s). Make sure that it is relevant to language origins!. Define your main terms: “language”, “gesture”, “cognition”, “adaptation”, “culture” – at least provisionally. I. Evolution and Evolutionary. Evolution—change in gene frequency in a population over time. Change must be genetic. Occurs in a population—not individuals. Time depends on how fast environment changes and how fast organisms reproduce. This book proposes a new two-step approach to the evolution of language, whereby syntax first evolved as an auto-organizational process for the human conceptual apparatus (as a Language of Thought), and this Language of Thought was then externalized for communication, due to social selection pressures. Anne Reboul first argues that despite the routine use of language in communication, current use is not a failsafe guide to adaptive history. She points out that human cognition is as unique in nature as is language as a communication system, suggesting deep links between human thought and language. If language is seen as a communication system, then the specificities of language, its hierarchical syntax, its creativity, and the ability to use it to talk about absent objects, are a mystery. This book shows that approaching language as a system for thought overcomes these problems, and provides a detailed account of both steps in the evolution of language: its evolution for thought and its externalization for communication. Argues that human beings have replaced the physical grooming rituals of our primate cousins with gossip, using language instead of touch to maintain social ties and intimate contact. This volume will revise the way we look at the modern populations of Latin America and North America by providing a totally new view of the history of Native American and African American peoples throughout the hemisphere. Africans and Native Americans explores key issues relating to the evolution of racial terminology and European colonialists\' perceptions of color, analyzing the development of color classification systems and the specific evolution of key terms such as black, mulatto, and mestizo, which no longer carry their original meanings. Jack Forbes presents strong evidence that Native American and African contacts began in Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean and that Native Americans may have crossed the Atlantic long before Columbus.   Constant exchange of information is integral to our societies. Jean-Louis Dessalles explores how this came into being. He develops a view of language as an instrument for conversation rather than mental representation and thought. Presenting language evolution as a natural history ofconversation, the author sheds light on the emergence of communication in the hominine congregations, as well as on the human nature. This volume will revise the way we look at the modern populations of Latin America and North America by providing a totally new view of the history of Native American and African American peoples throughout the hemisphere. Africans and Native Americans explores key issues relating to the evolution of racial terminology and European colonialists\' perceptions of color, analyzing the development of color classification systems and the specific evolution of key terms such as black, mulatto, and mestizo, which no longer carry their original meanings. Jack Forbes presents strong evidence that Native American and African contacts began in Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean and that Native Americans may have crossed the Atlantic long before Columbus.