The biological and cultural foundations of language (original) (raw)
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The Ongoing Debate on Language Evolution
How and why language has evolved to become what it is today, is the subject of intense debate. Chomsky long ago proposed that human language competence should be seen as a set of biologically inherited language principles. The adaptationist view suggests that the human cognitive apparatus must be specialized to language and was selected for by evolution. The non-adaptationist view rejects that idea and instead suggests emergence via a non-adaptationist route. Recently a third view language as shaped by the brain suggests that language is easy to learn and use because language has developed in such that it adapted to the capacities of our brains (which developed before language began to emerge). In this view, language acquisition is seen as resting on general cognitive processes, and constraints thereof. An alternative view suggests major aspects of UG are neither biological nor cultural in origin; rather that they reflect universal semiotic constraints inherent in the requirements for producing symbolic reference itself. Details of the evolutionary path of language remain unknown because we cannot revisit the world in ancient times to properly examine the subject of our speculation. A serious obstacle in this debate is the lack of scientific evidence supporting a coherent definition of Universal Grammar. Clarity with regard to this debate requires an in depth understanding of facts, concepts and theories which currently belong to different scientific disciplines.
Evolutionary Theory of Language. In: Kortmann, Bernd (ed.). 2013 ff. Theories and Methods in Linguistics. (= WSK Woerterbuecher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft Online, Ed. by Schierholz, Stefan J. & Herbert Ernst Wiegand). Berlin: Mouton. s.v., 2013
Forschungsrichtung, die sich der biologischen Entstehung der Sprachfähigkeit sowie der geschichtlichen Entwicklung einzelner menschlicher Sprachen aus evolutionstheoretischer Perspektive nähert. English lemma 3 evolutionary linguistics definition in English 4 an approach to the study of human language based on evolutionary theory and attempting to account both for the emergence of the language faculty and for the historical development of specific human languages. further explanations examples 5 0. Basics Evolutionary Linguistics is inspired by the Theory of Evolution. Going back to CHARLES DARWIN, the theory explains the existence of different biological species and their inheritable traits. Its core is simple: many phenotypic and behavioural traits of organisms are encoded in their genes. When organisms reproduce, copies of those genes are passed on to their offspring, which consequently develop corresponding traits. Since errors ('mutations') occur in the process, populations are normally characterised by genetic, phenotypic, and behavioural variation. At the same time, the phenotypic and behavioural traits for which gene variants code may either increase or decrease the chances of an organism to survive and reproduce (i.e. its 'fitness'). Since environmental resources sustain only a limited number of organisms, evolutionary theory predicts that gene variants with a positive effect on the reproductive success of their carriers will outnumber and oust ('be naturally selected over') their less advantageous competitors. Since the effect which a genetically determined trait has on the reproductive success of its carrier depends on environmental conditions, evolutionary theory also explains why species tend to diversify and to adapt to the ecological niches they inhabit. Thus, it accounts for both the diversity of life and the fact that living organisms appear purposefully designed to maximise the reproductive success of their genes.
Parameters, patterns, and the historical reality of UG
Background: in many respects, Principles&Parameters models of UG are a conceptually plausible answer to the problem of explanatory adequacy (Chomsky 1964), ie ultimately to the failures of inductive and empiricist models of language acquisition pointed out by the biolinguistic program (most explicitly since Chomsky 1959 or Lenneberg 1964): however, empirically, parametric theories are not yet sufficiently corroborated, since nobody has so far indisputably assessed the effectiveness of such nativist approaches to the acquisition of ...
2012
Chomsky's (eg 1965, 1980) proposal that human language is underpinned by a genetically specified universal grammar (UG) is astonishingly bold. Generative grammar is seen not primarily as concerned with finding the most elegant account of the linguistic patterns observed in the world's languages, but rather as a part of biology: it is viewed as specifying the structure of a ���language organ��� whose development is unfolds under genetic control.
Languages as evolving organisms – The solution to the logical problem of language evolution?
Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2008
Christiansen & Chater (C&C) argue persuasively that Universal Grammar (UG) could not have arisen through evolutionary processes. I provide additional suggestions to strengthen the argument against UG evolution. Further, I suggest that C&C’s solution to the logical problem of language evolution faces several problems. Widening the focus to mechanisms of general cognition and inclusion of animal communication research might overcome these problems.