2014 OriginsofLanguageASlimGuide
- (Hurford, 2014) ⇒ James R Hurford. (2014). “Origins of Language: A Slim Guide.” Oxford University Press. ISBN:0198701888
Subject Headings: Linguistics.
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Abstract
Origins of Language: A Slim Guide offers a concise and accessible overview of what is known about the evolution of the human capacity for language. Non-human animals communicate in simple ways: they may be able to form simple concepts, to feel some limited empathy for others, to cooperate to some extent, and to engage in mind-reading. Human language, however, is characterized by its ability to efficiently express a wide range of subtle and complex meanings. After the first simple beginnings, human language underwent an explosion of complexity, leading to the very complicated systems of grammar and pronunciation system\pronunciation found in modern languages.
Jim Hurford looks at the very varied aspects of this evolution, covering human prehistory; the relation between instinct and learning; biology and culture; trust, altruism, and cooperation; animal thought; human and non-human vocal anatomy; the meanings and forms of the first words; and the growth of complex systems of grammar and pronunciation. Written by an internationally recognized expert in the field, it draws on a number of disciplines besides linguistics, including philosophy, neuroscience, genetics, and animal behaviour, and will appeal to a wide range of readers interested in language origins and evolution.
1 The Prehistory of a Very Special Ape
2 Nature, Nurture and Language
Genes and Culture What is a Language? Instinct and Learning Iterated Learning
3 How Trusted Talk Started
Communication Basics One for All, and All for One
4 Concepts Before Language
Meaning is no Mystery Beyond Here and Now Going Public with Thoughts More Abstract Thinking
5 We Began to Speak, and Hear Differently
Human and Non-human Vocal Anatomy Fossils Questions about Hearing Speech Sensing Sounds Other Species' Perception of Speech Recognizing Speech and Other Noises
6 Coining Words
What did the First Words Mean? Visible Gestures or Audible Speech? Articulate Sounds Emerge Groups Converge on Arbitrary Signs Words Affect Thought
7 Building Powerful Grammar Engines
What is `Syntax'? Did Humans Start by Singing like Birds? Packaging Messages in Clauses and Sentences Making Grammar Civilization and Grammar
8 Pronunciation Gets Complex
The Earliest Vowel and Consonant Systems The Next Consonants and a New Vowel People Make things Messier
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| Author | volume | Date Value | title | type | journal | titleUrl | doi | note | year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 OriginsofLanguageASlimGuide | James R Hurford | Origins of Language: A Slim Guide | 2014 |