David F. Armstrong and Sherman E. Wilcox
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195163483
- eISBN:
- 9780199867523
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195163483.003.0009
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
This concluding chapter presents a summary of the main argument of the book, which is that signed languages are in an important sense not unique, that they are merely manifestations of the human ...
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This concluding chapter presents a summary of the main argument of the book, which is that signed languages are in an important sense not unique, that they are merely manifestations of the human language ability, unfamiliar only because language scientists of the time were not familiar with deaf people and their natural languages. It has been proposed that transformation of gesture into language lies at the heart of the origin of language, that just as grammaticization-as-ritualization accounts for the change from lexical to grammatical, it also accounts for the transformation of gesture into language. Ritualization is implicated in the phylogenetic evolution of language from nonlinguistic behaviours, with visible gestures playing a key role.Less
This concluding chapter presents a summary of the main argument of the book, which is that signed languages are in an important sense not unique, that they are merely manifestations of the human language ability, unfamiliar only because language scientists of the time were not familiar with deaf people and their natural languages. It has been proposed that transformation of gesture into language lies at the heart of the origin of language, that just as grammaticization-as-ritualization accounts for the change from lexical to grammatical, it also accounts for the transformation of gesture into language. Ritualization is implicated in the phylogenetic evolution of language from nonlinguistic behaviours, with visible gestures playing a key role.
Derek Bickerton
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263112
- eISBN:
- 9780191734885
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263112.003.0006
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
This chapter discusses the singularity of human language. Although evolution is normally conceived of as a gradual process, it can produce an appearance of catastrophism where functions change or ...
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This chapter discusses the singularity of human language. Although evolution is normally conceived of as a gradual process, it can produce an appearance of catastrophism where functions change or where gradual changes in two or more components impinge on one another. The fossil and archaeological records argue strongly for some such development in the case of human language. The discussion argues that language as people know it requires the conjunction of three things: an event structure derived from reciprocal altruism; the capacity to use unstructured symbolic units (protolanguage); and sufficient ‘spare’ neurones to maintain the coherence of internally generated messages in brains designed by evolution to attend primarily to the environment. These developments co-occurred only in the human species, accounting for the uniqueness of human language.Less
This chapter discusses the singularity of human language. Although evolution is normally conceived of as a gradual process, it can produce an appearance of catastrophism where functions change or where gradual changes in two or more components impinge on one another. The fossil and archaeological records argue strongly for some such development in the case of human language. The discussion argues that language as people know it requires the conjunction of three things: an event structure derived from reciprocal altruism; the capacity to use unstructured symbolic units (protolanguage); and sufficient ‘spare’ neurones to maintain the coherence of internally generated messages in brains designed by evolution to attend primarily to the environment. These developments co-occurred only in the human species, accounting for the uniqueness of human language.
Morten H. Christiansen, Christopher Collins, and Shimon Edelman (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195305432
- eISBN:
- 9780199866953
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195305432.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Models and Architectures
Languages differ from one another in bewildering and seemingly arbitrary ways. For example, in English, the verb precedes the direct object (understand the proof), but in Japanese, the direct object ...
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Languages differ from one another in bewildering and seemingly arbitrary ways. For example, in English, the verb precedes the direct object (understand the proof), but in Japanese, the direct object comes first. In some languages, such as Mohawk, it is not even possible to establish a basic word order. Nonetheless, languages do share certain regularities in how they are structured and used. The exact nature and extent of these “language universals” has been the focus of much research and is one of the central explanatory goals in the language sciences. During the past fifty years, there has been tremendous progress, a few major conceptual revolutions, and even the emergence of entirely new fields. The wealth of findings and theories offered by the various language-science disciplines has made it more important than ever to work toward an integrated understanding of the nature of human language universals. This book examines language universals from a cross-disciplinary perspective. It provides insights into long standing questions such as: What exactly defines the human capacity for language? Are there universal properties of human languages and, if so, what are they? Can all language universals be explained in the same way, or do some universals require different kinds of explanations from others?Less
Languages differ from one another in bewildering and seemingly arbitrary ways. For example, in English, the verb precedes the direct object (understand the proof), but in Japanese, the direct object comes first. In some languages, such as Mohawk, it is not even possible to establish a basic word order. Nonetheless, languages do share certain regularities in how they are structured and used. The exact nature and extent of these “language universals” has been the focus of much research and is one of the central explanatory goals in the language sciences. During the past fifty years, there has been tremendous progress, a few major conceptual revolutions, and even the emergence of entirely new fields. The wealth of findings and theories offered by the various language-science disciplines has made it more important than ever to work toward an integrated understanding of the nature of human language universals. This book examines language universals from a cross-disciplinary perspective. It provides insights into long standing questions such as: What exactly defines the human capacity for language? Are there universal properties of human languages and, if so, what are they? Can all language universals be explained in the same way, or do some universals require different kinds of explanations from others?
K. David Harrison
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195181920
- eISBN:
- 9780199870622
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195181920.003.0001
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Historical Linguistics
This chapter begins by discussing the fate of human languages. It tells that by the end of this century, only about half of the languages used today may still be spoken. It describes the experiences ...
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This chapter begins by discussing the fate of human languages. It tells that by the end of this century, only about half of the languages used today may still be spoken. It describes the experiences of some of the people who speak a language with 10 or fewer speakers. It explains that languages do not literally die or go extinct; rather they are crowded out by bigger languages, for small tongues get abandoned by their speakers who stop using them in favour of a more dominant, prestigious, or widely known tongue. It adds that language disappearance is an erosion or extinction of ideas and ways of knowing and ways of talking about the world and human experience. It also discusses how languages are lost, as well as the hotspots of language diversity. It explains that human cultural heritage and human cognition vanish when a language is lost.Less
This chapter begins by discussing the fate of human languages. It tells that by the end of this century, only about half of the languages used today may still be spoken. It describes the experiences of some of the people who speak a language with 10 or fewer speakers. It explains that languages do not literally die or go extinct; rather they are crowded out by bigger languages, for small tongues get abandoned by their speakers who stop using them in favour of a more dominant, prestigious, or widely known tongue. It adds that language disappearance is an erosion or extinction of ideas and ways of knowing and ways of talking about the world and human experience. It also discusses how languages are lost, as well as the hotspots of language diversity. It explains that human cultural heritage and human cognition vanish when a language is lost.
K. David Harrison
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195181920
- eISBN:
- 9780199870622
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195181920.003.0006
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Historical Linguistics
This chapter discusses that human languages, when counting, not only have different names for the numbers but also use a wide variety of mathematical strategies. It explores unusual counting systems ...
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This chapter discusses that human languages, when counting, not only have different names for the numbers but also use a wide variety of mathematical strategies. It explores unusual counting systems found in small and endangered language. It adds that some may have no numbers at all, or such limited counting that scientists have questioned whether counting is even necessary to human cultural and intellectual life. It highlights that the wide variety of counting strategies and routines available to humans depend on what language they happen to speak. It examines how people who primarily have body-counting do arithmetic. It states that infants, long before they talk, show evidence of innate abilities to grasp numerical concepts. It also talks about the lack of numbers in Amazonian language Piraha.Less
This chapter discusses that human languages, when counting, not only have different names for the numbers but also use a wide variety of mathematical strategies. It explores unusual counting systems found in small and endangered language. It adds that some may have no numbers at all, or such limited counting that scientists have questioned whether counting is even necessary to human cultural and intellectual life. It highlights that the wide variety of counting strategies and routines available to humans depend on what language they happen to speak. It examines how people who primarily have body-counting do arithmetic. It states that infants, long before they talk, show evidence of innate abilities to grasp numerical concepts. It also talks about the lack of numbers in Amazonian language Piraha.
Brandon C. Wheeler, William A. Searcy, Morten H. Christiansen, Michael C. Corballis, Julia Fischer, Christoph Grüter, Daniel Margoliash, Michael J. Owren, Tabitha Price, Robert Seyfarth, and Markus Wild
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780262016636
- eISBN:
- 9780262298988
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262016636.003.0013
- Subject:
- Psychology, Social Psychology
This chapter reviews what has been learned about animal thinking from the study of animal communication and considers what we might hope to learn in the future. It begins with a discussion on the ...
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This chapter reviews what has been learned about animal thinking from the study of animal communication and considers what we might hope to learn in the future. It begins with a discussion on the importance of informational versus non-informational interpretations of animal communication and then considers what inferences can be drawn about the cognitive requirements of communication from the communicative abilities of simple organisms. It discusses the importance of context to the meaning of animal signals and the possibility of asymmetries in the neural processes underlying production versus reception. Current theories on the evolution of human language are reviewed and how the study of animal communication informs these theories.Less
This chapter reviews what has been learned about animal thinking from the study of animal communication and considers what we might hope to learn in the future. It begins with a discussion on the importance of informational versus non-informational interpretations of animal communication and then considers what inferences can be drawn about the cognitive requirements of communication from the communicative abilities of simple organisms. It discusses the importance of context to the meaning of animal signals and the possibility of asymmetries in the neural processes underlying production versus reception. Current theories on the evolution of human language are reviewed and how the study of animal communication informs these theories.
Colin M. Brown and Peter Hagoort (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198507932
- eISBN:
- 9780191687242
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198507932.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience
This book brings together experts on human language and the brain to present the first critical overview of the cognitive neuroscience of language, one of the fastest-moving areas today. In-depth ...
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This book brings together experts on human language and the brain to present the first critical overview of the cognitive neuroscience of language, one of the fastest-moving areas today. In-depth discussion of the representations and structures of language, as well as of the cognitive architectures which underlie speaking, listening, and reading, will provide a basis for future brain imaging research. In addition, the existing brain imaging literature on word and sentence processing is critically reviewed, as well as contributions from brain lesion data. Finally, the book discusses the prospects and problems of brain imaging techniques for the study of language, presents some of the most recent and promising analytic procedures for relating brain imaging data to the higher cognitive functions, and contains a review of the neuroanatomical structure of Broca's language area.Less
This book brings together experts on human language and the brain to present the first critical overview of the cognitive neuroscience of language, one of the fastest-moving areas today. In-depth discussion of the representations and structures of language, as well as of the cognitive architectures which underlie speaking, listening, and reading, will provide a basis for future brain imaging research. In addition, the existing brain imaging literature on word and sentence processing is critically reviewed, as well as contributions from brain lesion data. Finally, the book discusses the prospects and problems of brain imaging techniques for the study of language, presents some of the most recent and promising analytic procedures for relating brain imaging data to the higher cognitive functions, and contains a review of the neuroanatomical structure of Broca's language area.
Arie Verhagen
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199226702
- eISBN:
- 9780191706646
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199226702.003.0001
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Syntax and Morphology
This chapter argues that solving small grammatical puzzles involves some fundamental decisions on basic assumptions about human language and especially meaning. The work shows that the fact that a ...
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This chapter argues that solving small grammatical puzzles involves some fundamental decisions on basic assumptions about human language and especially meaning. The work shows that the fact that a particular general view makes it possible to solve a number of more and less classic specific grammatical problems constitutes evidence for the usefulness of this general view. The chapter also describes major theoretical issues on human specialization, common ground and the construal configuration, human and animal communication, and the theory of argumentativity. The roles of argumentation and auxiliary syntax in the balance between objectivity and intersubjectivity are illustrated in Dutch and English. The prospects of adopting a usage-based, constructional approach to grammar are explained.Less
This chapter argues that solving small grammatical puzzles involves some fundamental decisions on basic assumptions about human language and especially meaning. The work shows that the fact that a particular general view makes it possible to solve a number of more and less classic specific grammatical problems constitutes evidence for the usefulness of this general view. The chapter also describes major theoretical issues on human specialization, common ground and the construal configuration, human and animal communication, and the theory of argumentativity. The roles of argumentation and auxiliary syntax in the balance between objectivity and intersubjectivity are illustrated in Dutch and English. The prospects of adopting a usage-based, constructional approach to grammar are explained.
Steven Pinker
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198523901
- eISBN:
- 9780191689048
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198523901.003.0017
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
This chapter contends that an important source of evidence that has been neglected in the study of language evolution is the language itself. Thus, in this chapter, some basic facts about the ...
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This chapter contends that an important source of evidence that has been neglected in the study of language evolution is the language itself. Thus, in this chapter, some basic facts about the structure, psychology, neurology, and genetics of the human language faculty significant to its evolution are assessed. Based on the reviewed evidence, the chapter asserts that language is part of human biology, not human culture, and should be best thought of as a neural system, a computational module, and a mental organ. Also, language is complex computationally, neurologically, and genetically. Though the facts that are presented do not support anything like a full theory of language evolution, much less a phylogenetic sequence, the chapter asserts that they are adequate to refute popular assumptions, have strong implications about the relevant evolutionary forces, and offer suggestions about where to look further.Less
This chapter contends that an important source of evidence that has been neglected in the study of language evolution is the language itself. Thus, in this chapter, some basic facts about the structure, psychology, neurology, and genetics of the human language faculty significant to its evolution are assessed. Based on the reviewed evidence, the chapter asserts that language is part of human biology, not human culture, and should be best thought of as a neural system, a computational module, and a mental organ. Also, language is complex computationally, neurologically, and genetically. Though the facts that are presented do not support anything like a full theory of language evolution, much less a phylogenetic sequence, the chapter asserts that they are adequate to refute popular assumptions, have strong implications about the relevant evolutionary forces, and offer suggestions about where to look further.
Daniel Cloud
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231167925
- eISBN:
- 9780231538282
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231167925.003.0001
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Psycholinguistics / Neurolinguistics / Cognitive Linguistics
This chapter revives the idea that our existing languages are partly the product of ongoing human invention and human judgment, that particular individuals did, and still do, play a role in deciding ...
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This chapter revives the idea that our existing languages are partly the product of ongoing human invention and human judgment, that particular individuals did, and still do, play a role in deciding what our language will be like that is something like the role of Quine's imagined “syndics.” It argues that it is not that our languages were deliberately invented by particular groups of people, legislators, or syndics in the formal sense of those words, sitting around particular tables, at particular times in the past. It seems that they are more like our dogs, our wolfhounds, and sheepdogs. We did not invent them exactly, but our ancestors did repeatedly make deliberate, more or less rational choices in the process that made them what they are today—choices among a long series of slightly incrementally different variants, unconsciously shaping the dogs into precisely what their human breeders needed them to be.Less
This chapter revives the idea that our existing languages are partly the product of ongoing human invention and human judgment, that particular individuals did, and still do, play a role in deciding what our language will be like that is something like the role of Quine's imagined “syndics.” It argues that it is not that our languages were deliberately invented by particular groups of people, legislators, or syndics in the formal sense of those words, sitting around particular tables, at particular times in the past. It seems that they are more like our dogs, our wolfhounds, and sheepdogs. We did not invent them exactly, but our ancestors did repeatedly make deliberate, more or less rational choices in the process that made them what they are today—choices among a long series of slightly incrementally different variants, unconsciously shaping the dogs into precisely what their human breeders needed them to be.
Andrea Moro
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262134989
- eISBN:
- 9780262280204
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262134989.003.0002
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Psycholinguistics / Neurolinguistics / Cognitive Linguistics
This chapter starts by addressing methodological issues as applied to linguistics, which include simplicity, errors, and formalism. It then introduces some fundamental aspects of human languages. The ...
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This chapter starts by addressing methodological issues as applied to linguistics, which include simplicity, errors, and formalism. It then introduces some fundamental aspects of human languages. The chapter concludes with a naturalistic example that linguists mention to show how biologically determined language acquisition models are present in nature in species other than humans.Less
This chapter starts by addressing methodological issues as applied to linguistics, which include simplicity, errors, and formalism. It then introduces some fundamental aspects of human languages. The chapter concludes with a naturalistic example that linguists mention to show how biologically determined language acquisition models are present in nature in species other than humans.
Vanessa Lemm
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- March 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780823230273
- eISBN:
- 9780823235469
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fso/9780823230273.003.0007
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Political Philosophy
This chapter argues that Friedrich Nietzsche's criticism on metaphysics aims at a renewal of the meaning of philosophy as the pursuit of truth. It contends that throughout his ...
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This chapter argues that Friedrich Nietzsche's criticism on metaphysics aims at a renewal of the meaning of philosophy as the pursuit of truth. It contends that throughout his work, Nietzsche maintains the controversial claim that truth is a metaphor and that consideration of truth is inseparable from a consideration of language. He argues that since truth is a metaphor, it fails to capture life and, moreover, metaphors are rationalizations and abstractions that destroy life. Nietzsche also believes that animal silence is the source of the metaphorical character of human animal language.Less
This chapter argues that Friedrich Nietzsche's criticism on metaphysics aims at a renewal of the meaning of philosophy as the pursuit of truth. It contends that throughout his work, Nietzsche maintains the controversial claim that truth is a metaphor and that consideration of truth is inseparable from a consideration of language. He argues that since truth is a metaphor, it fails to capture life and, moreover, metaphors are rationalizations and abstractions that destroy life. Nietzsche also believes that animal silence is the source of the metaphorical character of human animal language.
Pierre-Yves Oudeyer
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199289158
- eISBN:
- 9780191711091
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199289158.003.0002
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Sociolinguistics / Anthropological Linguistics
This chapter begins by discussing the parts and functions of the human instrument of speech — the vocal tract. It talks about how the auditory system perceives sounds. It then discusses articulatory ...
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This chapter begins by discussing the parts and functions of the human instrument of speech — the vocal tract. It talks about how the auditory system perceives sounds. It then discusses articulatory phonology and the organization of the speech code. The chapter introduces the way the speech code works, specifies the issues regarding its origins, and its diversity in human languages.Less
This chapter begins by discussing the parts and functions of the human instrument of speech — the vocal tract. It talks about how the auditory system perceives sounds. It then discusses articulatory phonology and the organization of the speech code. The chapter introduces the way the speech code works, specifies the issues regarding its origins, and its diversity in human languages.
Mike Oaksford and Nick Chater (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199233298
- eISBN:
- 9780191696602
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199233298.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
The conditional, if…then, is probably the most important term in natural language and forms the core of systems of logic and mental representation. It occurs in all human languages and allows people ...
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The conditional, if…then, is probably the most important term in natural language and forms the core of systems of logic and mental representation. It occurs in all human languages and allows people to express their knowledge of the causal or law-like structure of the world and of others' behaviour. The way in which the conditional is modelled also determines the core of most logical systems. Unsurprisingly, it is also the most-researched expression in the psychology of human reasoning. This book brings together recent developments in the cognitive science and psychology of conditional reasoning. Over the last ten to fifteen years, research on conditionals has come to dominate the psychology of reasoning, providing a rich seam of results that have created new theoretical possibilities. This book shows how these developments have led researchers to view people's conditional reasoning behaviour more as successful probabilistic reasoning rather than as errorful logical reasoning. It shows how the multifarious, and apparently competing, theoretical positions developed over the last fifty years in this area — mental logics, mental models, heuristic approaches, dual process theory, and probabilistic approaches — have responded to these insights. Its organisation reflects the view that an integrative approach is emerging that may need to exploit aspects of all these theoretical positions to explain the rich and complex phenomenon of reasoning with conditionals. It includes an introductory chapter relating the development of the psychology of reasoning to developments in the logic and semantics of the conditional.Less
The conditional, if…then, is probably the most important term in natural language and forms the core of systems of logic and mental representation. It occurs in all human languages and allows people to express their knowledge of the causal or law-like structure of the world and of others' behaviour. The way in which the conditional is modelled also determines the core of most logical systems. Unsurprisingly, it is also the most-researched expression in the psychology of human reasoning. This book brings together recent developments in the cognitive science and psychology of conditional reasoning. Over the last ten to fifteen years, research on conditionals has come to dominate the psychology of reasoning, providing a rich seam of results that have created new theoretical possibilities. This book shows how these developments have led researchers to view people's conditional reasoning behaviour more as successful probabilistic reasoning rather than as errorful logical reasoning. It shows how the multifarious, and apparently competing, theoretical positions developed over the last fifty years in this area — mental logics, mental models, heuristic approaches, dual process theory, and probabilistic approaches — have responded to these insights. Its organisation reflects the view that an integrative approach is emerging that may need to exploit aspects of all these theoretical positions to explain the rich and complex phenomenon of reasoning with conditionals. It includes an introductory chapter relating the development of the psychology of reasoning to developments in the logic and semantics of the conditional.
Robert C. Berwick and Noam Chomsky
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780262034241
- eISBN:
- 9780262333351
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262034241.003.0004
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Theoretical Linguistics
This chapter examines the what, who, where, when, how, and why of language and its evolution. It first considers Alfred Russel Wallace's views about natural selection before expounding on the “what” ...
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This chapter examines the what, who, where, when, how, and why of language and its evolution. It first considers Alfred Russel Wallace's views about natural selection before expounding on the “what” question, focusing on language's three components: the first is “CPU,” which encompasses the basic compositional operation, Merge; the second and third are interfaces to the sensorimotor and conceptual-intentional systems. The last two components map from the structures Merge assembles to systems of “externalization” and “internalization.” The chapter then explores the computation of hierarchical structure before comparing birdsong and language in other nonhuman animals with the externalization sound system of human languages. It also addresses the question of where and when the Basic Property of language first appeared, how the Basic Property is actually implemented in neural circuitry, and why humans have language at all.Less
This chapter examines the what, who, where, when, how, and why of language and its evolution. It first considers Alfred Russel Wallace's views about natural selection before expounding on the “what” question, focusing on language's three components: the first is “CPU,” which encompasses the basic compositional operation, Merge; the second and third are interfaces to the sensorimotor and conceptual-intentional systems. The last two components map from the structures Merge assembles to systems of “externalization” and “internalization.” The chapter then explores the computation of hierarchical structure before comparing birdsong and language in other nonhuman animals with the externalization sound system of human languages. It also addresses the question of where and when the Basic Property of language first appeared, how the Basic Property is actually implemented in neural circuitry, and why humans have language at all.
Joanna Gavins
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748622993
- eISBN:
- 9780748671540
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748622993.003.0001
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Applied Linguistics and Pedagogy
This chapter begins with a discussion of the theoretical foundations of Text World Theory. Text World Theory is a model of human language processing, which is based on the notions of mental ...
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This chapter begins with a discussion of the theoretical foundations of Text World Theory. Text World Theory is a model of human language processing, which is based on the notions of mental representation found in cognitive psychology and which shares the experientialist principles of cognitive linguistics. The chapter then considers what Text World Theory means in practical terms and what sets it apart from other cognitive-linguistic frameworks. An overview of the subsequent chapters is also presented.Less
This chapter begins with a discussion of the theoretical foundations of Text World Theory. Text World Theory is a model of human language processing, which is based on the notions of mental representation found in cognitive psychology and which shares the experientialist principles of cognitive linguistics. The chapter then considers what Text World Theory means in practical terms and what sets it apart from other cognitive-linguistic frameworks. An overview of the subsequent chapters is also presented.
Stephen R. Anderson
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199654840
- eISBN:
- 9780191759000
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199654840.003.0002
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Psycholinguistics / Neurolinguistics / Cognitive Linguistics, Sociolinguistics / Anthropological Linguistics
This chapter addresses two basic questions. The first is: ‘How was the human language faculty shaped evolutionarily?’ It suggests that this faculty, being a consequence of the biological nature of ...
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This chapter addresses two basic questions. The first is: ‘How was the human language faculty shaped evolutionarily?’ It suggests that this faculty, being a consequence of the biological nature of humans, probably arose through natural selection. The second basic question is: ‘How do we identify the properties that we should attribute to the human language faculty?’ Identifying these properties is more difficult than dealing with the corresponding problem in the study of most other biological traits. It discusses in detail the potential and the limitations of the various means — e.g., poverty-of-the-stimulus arguments — by which these properties could be identified.Less
This chapter addresses two basic questions. The first is: ‘How was the human language faculty shaped evolutionarily?’ It suggests that this faculty, being a consequence of the biological nature of humans, probably arose through natural selection. The second basic question is: ‘How do we identify the properties that we should attribute to the human language faculty?’ Identifying these properties is more difficult than dealing with the corresponding problem in the study of most other biological traits. It discusses in detail the potential and the limitations of the various means — e.g., poverty-of-the-stimulus arguments — by which these properties could be identified.
Robert C. Berwick and Noam Chomsky
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780262034241
- eISBN:
- 9780262333351
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262034241.003.0002
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Theoretical Linguistics
This chapter considers the biolinguistic perspective on human language. From the biolinguistic perspective, we can think of language as an “organ of the body,” comparable with the visual or digestive ...
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This chapter considers the biolinguistic perspective on human language. From the biolinguistic perspective, we can think of language as an “organ of the body,” comparable with the visual or digestive or immune systems. In this sense, language can be regarded as a mental organ, where the term mental simply refers to certain aspects of the world, to be studied in the same way as chemical, optical, electrical, and other aspects. This chapter tackles two puzzling questions about language: First, why are there any languages at all, evidently unique to the human lineage—what evolutionary biologists call an “autapomorphy”? Second, why are there so many languages? To answer these questions, the chapter explores the relation of language to the sensorimotor system and thought systems, along with the problem of externalization. It also examines factors that may strongly influence language design, including properties of the brain, and concludes with a discussion of the unity and diversity of language and thought.Less
This chapter considers the biolinguistic perspective on human language. From the biolinguistic perspective, we can think of language as an “organ of the body,” comparable with the visual or digestive or immune systems. In this sense, language can be regarded as a mental organ, where the term mental simply refers to certain aspects of the world, to be studied in the same way as chemical, optical, electrical, and other aspects. This chapter tackles two puzzling questions about language: First, why are there any languages at all, evidently unique to the human lineage—what evolutionary biologists call an “autapomorphy”? Second, why are there so many languages? To answer these questions, the chapter explores the relation of language to the sensorimotor system and thought systems, along with the problem of externalization. It also examines factors that may strongly influence language design, including properties of the brain, and concludes with a discussion of the unity and diversity of language and thought.
Aniruddh D. Patel
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195123753
- eISBN:
- 9780199848034
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195123753.003.0006
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Behavioral Neuroscience
Certain inconsistencies can be observed when looking into the relationship between musical and linguistic meaning. As Claude Lévi-Strauss suggests, music is the only language which is simultaneously ...
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Certain inconsistencies can be observed when looking into the relationship between musical and linguistic meaning. As Claude Lévi-Strauss suggests, music is the only language which is simultaneously understandable and untranslatable since, although it would be easy to translate between human languages, it would be difficult if not entirely impossible to translate music into music or music into language without having to alter the original material's meaning. On another note, it is perceived to be easier for music to overcome cultural boundaries than language since another culture's music is not as likely to entail losing interest when compared to a speech being delivered in a foreign language. However, we have to consider the translatability of language to that of music since languages present different ways of meaning transmissions between individuals, which music is unable to do.Less
Certain inconsistencies can be observed when looking into the relationship between musical and linguistic meaning. As Claude Lévi-Strauss suggests, music is the only language which is simultaneously understandable and untranslatable since, although it would be easy to translate between human languages, it would be difficult if not entirely impossible to translate music into music or music into language without having to alter the original material's meaning. On another note, it is perceived to be easier for music to overcome cultural boundaries than language since another culture's music is not as likely to entail losing interest when compared to a speech being delivered in a foreign language. However, we have to consider the translatability of language to that of music since languages present different ways of meaning transmissions between individuals, which music is unable to do.
Daniel Cloud
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231167925
- eISBN:
- 9780231538282
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231167925.003.0002
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Psycholinguistics / Neurolinguistics / Cognitive Linguistics
This chapter examines David Lewis' book Convention, which was an explicit response to W. V. Quine's “Truth by Convention” as well as other things he wrote on the so-called conventions of our language ...
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This chapter examines David Lewis' book Convention, which was an explicit response to W. V. Quine's “Truth by Convention” as well as other things he wrote on the so-called conventions of our language and their relationship to analytic truth. Drawing on Thomas Schelling's ideas about “focal points” in “coordination games”, Lewis sought to understand conventions in general, and linguistic conventions in particular, as basically being conserved equilibriums in coordination games, built around established precedents. This allows the conventions to be tacit, while making our choice to follow them still a fully rational one. We often choose to follow the practices we see others following because it makes practical sense for us to do so, but we do not need a written account of the whole system of rules or any overarching rationale to make that rational choice. We just have to be able to figure out what is expected of us in particular situations well enough to be able to produce the right behavior most of the time.Less
This chapter examines David Lewis' book Convention, which was an explicit response to W. V. Quine's “Truth by Convention” as well as other things he wrote on the so-called conventions of our language and their relationship to analytic truth. Drawing on Thomas Schelling's ideas about “focal points” in “coordination games”, Lewis sought to understand conventions in general, and linguistic conventions in particular, as basically being conserved equilibriums in coordination games, built around established precedents. This allows the conventions to be tacit, while making our choice to follow them still a fully rational one. We often choose to follow the practices we see others following because it makes practical sense for us to do so, but we do not need a written account of the whole system of rules or any overarching rationale to make that rational choice. We just have to be able to figure out what is expected of us in particular situations well enough to be able to produce the right behavior most of the time.
