The Seeds of Speech:Language Origin and Evolution Human language is a weird communication system:it has more in common with birdsong than withthe calls of other primates.Jean Aitchison explores the origins of human language and how it has evolved.She likens the search to a vast prehistoric 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.The Seeds of Speech is an accessible and wide-ranging introduction to the origins and evolution of human language."We must be grateful to Jean Aitchison for so very readably assembling a good deal of recent work that might seem to hint at how language began...the author goes out of her way to offer a restful read to all comers."
作者簡介
暫缺《言語的萌發(fā):語言起源與進(jìn)化 英文版》作者簡介
圖書目錄
Preface by Halliday Preface by Chomsky Foreword to the Canto edition Preface Part 1 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 2 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 3 Evolution 9.The second 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 4 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