The Evolution of Human Language: Scenarios, Principles, and Cultural Dynamics - Couverture rigide

Wildgen, Wolfgang

 
9781588115188: The Evolution of Human Language: Scenarios, Principles, and Cultural Dynamics

Présentation de l'éditeur

Wolfgang Wildgen presents three perspectives on the evolution of language as a key element in the evolution of mankind in terms of the development of human symbol use. (1) He approaches this question by constructing possible scenarios in which mechanisms necessary for symbolic behavior could have developed, on the basis of the state of the art in evolutionary anthropology and genetics. (2) Non-linguistic symbolic behavior such as cave art is investigated as an important clue to the developmental background to the origin of language. Creativity and innovation and a population's ability to integrate individual experiments are considered with regard to historical examples of symbolic creativity in the visual arts and natural sciences. (3) Probable linguistic 'fossils' of such linguistic innovations are examined. The results of this study allow for new proposals for a 'protolanguage' and for a theory of language within a broader philosophical and semiotic framework, and raises interesting questions as to human consciousness, universal grammar, and linguistic methodology. (Series B)

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9789027251930: The Evolution of Human Language: Scenarios, principles, and cultural dynamics

Edition présentée

ISBN 10 :  9027251932 ISBN 13 :  9789027251930
Editeur : John Benjamins Publishing Co, 2004
Couverture rigide