Seeds of speech: language origin and evolution

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Human language is a weird communication system: it has more in common with birdsong than the calls of other primates. In this clear and non-technical overview, Jean Aitchison explores why it evolved and how it developed. She likens the search to a vast prehistoric jigsaw puzzle, in which numerous fragments of evidence must be assembled, some external to language, such as evolution theory, animal communication; others internal, including child language, pidgins and creoles, and language change. She explains why language is so strange, outlines recent theories about its origin, and discusses possible paths of evolution. Jean Aitchison is the Rupert Murdoch Professor of Language and Communication at Oxford University. She gave the 1996 BBC Reith lectures The Language Web.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Part I 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 II 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 III 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 IV 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.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Aitchison's latest book is very much in keeping with her previous works on language in terms of style, audience, and content. Her lavish use of witty metaphors, allusions, and quotations from a wide range of sources makes her writing lively and appropriate for a broad audience--simultaneously available to educated nonspecialists and informative for readers who are already familiar with many concepts in the field of linguistics. Beginning with basic questions like "What is language for?" Aitchison (Oxford Univ.) takes the reader on a fascinating journey through topics such as the possible origins of language in humans, comparisons between language and nonhuman communications, differences between languages, and language changes and how they spread. Although she covers much basic material that will be familiar to specialists, she also has innovative ideas about language evolution. She is careful to explain specialized terminology and employs numerous language examples and illustrations. Highly recommended both for general readers and undergraduate students; graduate students in fields such as anthropology and psychology will also find the book useful. L. Bebout University of Windsor