The Seeds of Speech: Language Origin and Evolution (Canto)
Cambridge University Press
Edition: Illustrated, 4/25/2012
EAN 9780521785716, ISBN10: 0521785715
Paperback, 296 pages, 21.6 x 14 x 1.9 cm
Language: English
Human language is a weird communication system: it has more in common with birdsong than with the calls of other primates. In this wide-ranging and accessible overview, first published in 2000, Jean Aitchison explores the origins of human language and how it has evolved. She likens the search to a vast pre-historic jigsaw puzzle, in which numerous fragments of evidence must be assembled. Such evidence is pieced together from a mixture of linguistic and non-linguistic sources like evolution theory, archaeology, psychology, and anthropology. She explains why language is so strange, outlines recent theories about its origin, and discusses possible paths of evolution. Finally, Jean Aitchison considers what holds all languages together and prevents them from becoming unlearnably different from one another. The Seeds of Speech is a fascinating book that will appeal to everyone who is interested in the origins and evolution of human language, including linguists, anthropologists, psychologists, archaeologists, and the general reader.
Preface
Part I. Puzzles
1. A natural curiosity
how did language begin?
2. A peculiar habit
what is language for?
3. The bother at Babel
why do languages differ so much?
4. Distinct duties
is language an independent skill?
Part II. Origin
5. The family tree
the evolutionary background
6. A devious mind
the basic requirements
7. Broken air
inherited ingredients
8. Small beginnings
first steps
Part III. Evolution
9. The secong word
the emergence of rules
10. The tower of speech
expansion
11. Time travelling
extra attachments
12. Rebuilding on the high seas
keeping going
Part IV. Diffusion
13. The widening circle
moving outwards
14. The hidden core
the hunt for universals
15. The real magician
ruling the rules
16. Unweaving the rainbow
separating the strands
17. The endless stair
past and future
Symbols used in the text
Notes and suggestions for further reading
References
Index.