Approaches to the Evolution of Language Social and Cognitive Bases [Paperback]

This book considers language within the framework of modern evolutionary theory, emphasising its social bases.This is one of the first systematic attempts to bring language within the neo-Darwinian framework of modern evolutionary theory. 24 co-ordinated essays by linguists, phoneticians, anthropologists, psychologists and cognitive scientists explore the origins of the complex structure of human language, emphasizing its social (as opposed to purely practical) bases, and showing the mechanisms by which this structure emerges, is maintained, and devlops.This is one of the first systematic attempts to bring language within the neo-Darwinian framework of modern evolutionary theory. 24 co-ordinated essays by linguists, phoneticians, anthropologists, psychologists and cognitive scientists explore the origins of the complex structure of human language, emphasizing its social (as opposed to purely practical) bases, and showing the mechanisms by which this structure emerges, is maintained, and devlops.This is one of the first systematic attempts to bring language within the neo-Darwinian framework of modern evolutionary theory. Twenty-four coordinated essays by linguists, phoneticians, anthropologists, psychologists and cognitive scientists explore the origins of the complex structure of human language, emphasizing its social (as opposed to purely practical) bases, and showing the mechanisms by which this structure emerges, is maintained, and develops.Introduction Michael Studdert-Kennedy, Chris Knight, and James R. Hurford; Part I. Grounding Language Function in Social Cognition: 1. Introduction: Grounding language function in social cognition Chris Knight; 2. On discontinuing the continuity-discontinuity debate Jean Aitchison; 3. The origin of language and cognition Ib Ulbaek; 4. Mimesis and the executive suite: missing links in language evolution Merlin Donald; 5. Ritual/speech co-evolution: a 'selfish gene' solution to the problem of deception Chris Knight; 6. Theorylã"