Language evolution and syntactic theory / Anna R. Kinsella.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kinsella, Anna R.

Series:

Approaches to the evolution of language

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Historical linguistics.

Grammar, Comparative and general--Syntax.

Grammar, Comparative and general.

Physical Description:

xiv, 222 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2009.

Summary:

Evolution has not typically been recognised by linguists as a constraining factor when developing linguistic theories. This book demonstrates that our theories of language must reflect the fact that language has evolved. It critiques a currently dominant framework in the field of linguistics - the Minimalist Program - by showing how it fails to take evolution into account. It approaches the question of the evolution of human language in a novel way by applying findings from the field of evolutionary biology to language. Key properties associated with typically evolving systems are identified in language, and the shortcomings of the Minimalist Program in its outright rejection of these features are exposed. The book will be of interest to individual researchers and advanced students in linguistics, psychology, biology, anthropology and cognitive science.

Contents:

1 Constraining our theory of language 1

1.1 Language and evolution 1

1.2 Studies in syntactic theory 3

1.3 Studies in evolution 7

1.4 Studies in language evolution 10

1.5 Constraining the theory of language 16

1.6 A history of generative grammar 17

1.7 Minimalism - a program for syntactic theorising 21

1.8 Syntactic theory in the light of evolution: the book 36

2 Language as a perfect system 39

2.1 Introduction 39

2.2 The perfection of language 39

2.3 Perfection = adaptation? 49

2.4 Simply a matter of terminology? 53

2.5 Perfection in nature 60

2.6 Conclusions 68

3 Language as an evolvable system 70

3.1 Introduction 70

3.2 The simplicity of the minimalist language faculty 70

3.3 The complexity of the non-minimalist language faculty 72

3.4 Measuring complexity 77

3.5 The direction of evolution 81

3.6 Minimalist methodology 87

3.7 Minimalism and saltationism 91

3.8 Evolvability 96

3.9 Conclusions 110

4 Language as a recursive system 112

4.1 Introduction 112

4.2 What is recursion? 113

4.3 What's special about language? 129

4.4 The uniqueness of recursion 134

4.5 Language without recursion 150

4.6 Conclusions 158

5 Language as a minimal system 160

5.1 Introduction 160

5.2 Degeneracy and imperfection in the system 161

5.3 'Extra' operations and competing motivations 163

5.4 What is meant by 'perfection' anyhow? 166

5.5 An imperfection in the mapping process 170

5.6 Stipulations without independent motivation 171

5.7 Shifting the burden of explanation 175

5.8 Phenomena left unexplained 178

5.9 Conclusions 183

6 Towards an evolvable theory of syntax 185

6.1 Evolution as a constraint on theories of language 185

6.2 Reconciling minimalism and evolution 186

6.3 Evolutionary plausible theories of language 188

6.4 Final remarks 194.

Notes:

Includes bibliography (pages 195-210) and index.

ISBN:

9780521895309

0521895308

OCLC:

351329736