Origins of language : constraints on hypotheses / Sverker Johansson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Johansson, Sverker, 1961-

Series:

Converging evidence in language and communication research ; v. 5.

Converging evidence in language and communication research ; v. 5

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Language and languages--Origin.

Language and languages.

Human evolution.

Biolinguistics.

Physical Description:

xi, 345 p. : ill.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Philadelphia, PA : John Benjamins, 2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

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.

Contents:

Origins of Language

Editorial page

Title page

LCC data

Table of contents

List of Figures

List of Tables

Preface

1. INTRODUCTION

2. WHAT IS LANGUAGE?

Further reading

3. THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION

3.1 Natural selection as an abstract process

3.2 Variation, randomness, and mutation

3.3 Limitations and misunderstandings of evolution

3.4 Cultural evolution

3.5 Evolutionary theory as applied to language

3.6 The time scale of evolution

3.7 Summary

4. HUMAN ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION

4.1 Mammals

4.2 Primates

4.3 Hominids

4.4 Summary

5. ANATOMICAL AND NEUROLOGICAL PREREQUISITES FOR LANGUAGE

5.1 Sound production

5.2 Sound perception

5.3 Brain anatomy, modularity, and lateralization

5.4 Summary

6. ANIMAL COMMUNICATION IN THE WILD

6.1 Do animal calls mean anything?

6.2 Mental states of communicating animals?

6.3 The evolution of animal communication

6.4 Animal syntax?

6.5 Summary

7. CAN NON-HUMANS BE TAUGHT LANGUAGE?

7.1 Apes

7.2 Dolphins

7.3 Parrots

7.4 Patterns of nonhuman

7.5 Summary

8. LANGUAGE, MIND, AND SELF

8.1 What is Mind -the 'hard problem'

8.2 What is mind -the 'easy problem' - and do animals have it?

8.3 Summary

9. HYPOTHESES OF LANGUAGE ORIGINS

9.1 Historical background

9.2 Dimensions of language evolution hypotheses

9.3 Adaptation vs. spandrel

9.4 Early vs. late

9.5 Gradual vs. sudden

9.6 Speech first vs. gestures first

9.7 Innate and genetically determined vs. learned and culturally determined

9.8 Summary

10. WHY DID LANGUAGE EVOLVE?

10.1 Hunting

10.2 Tool making

10.3 Sexual selection

10.4 Child care and teaching.

10.5 Social relations in groups and tribes

10.6 Miscellaneous ideas

10.7 Why us and not the other apes?

10.8 Summary

11. PROTOLANGUAGE

11.1 Protospeech

11.2 Protogestures

11.3 Protosemantics

11.4 Protosyntax

11.5 How can all the protos be combined?

11.6 Summary

12. CONCLUSIONS

References

Index

The series Converging Evidence in Language and Communication Research.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786612156885

9789027294609

9027294607

9789027238917

902723891X

9781423761389

1423761383

9781282156883

1282156888

OCLC:

732803871