Evolutionary Linguistics

By: April McMahon, Robert McMahon

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Paperback | 11 October 2012

At a Glance

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330 Pages

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24.41 x 16.99 x 1.75

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How did the biological, brain and behavioural structures underlying human language evolve? When, why and where did our ancestors become linguistic animals, and what has happened since? This book provides a clear, comprehensive but lively introduction to these interdisciplinary debates. Written in an approachable style, it cuts through the complex, sometimes contradictory and often obscure technical languages used in the different scientific disciplines involved in the study of linguistic evolution. Assuming no background knowledge in these disciplines, the book outlines the physical and neurological structures underlying language systems, and the limits of our knowledge concerning their evolution. Discussion questions and further reading lists encourage students to explore the primary literature further, and the final chapter demonstrates that while many questions still remain unanswered, there is a growing consensus as to how modern human languages have arisen as systems by the interplay of evolved structures and cultural transmission.

Industry Reviews

'Ideal material for my postgraduate course in evolutionary linguistics.' Andrew Smith, University of Stirling
'... this book is an excellent introduction to the origins and development of early human language. It is written in an accessible but authoritative style and will hopefully serve as a rewarding entryway for future scholars interested in this growing subfield of linguistic research.' Ryan Shosted, Journal of Sociolinguistics

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Language & Linguistics Linguistics Historical & Comparative Linguistics Science Biology, Life Sciences Life Sciences in General Evolution Sociology & Anthropology Anthropology Social & Cultural Anthropology, Ethnography

Evolution and history
Evidence for evolution
The comparative methods
Who, where and when?
The vocal tract
Language and the brain
Language and genes
Big bang or cumulative creep? Saltation versus gradual, adaptive evolution
From protolanguage to language
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Evolutionary Linguistics

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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