The Seeds of Speech
Language Origin and Evolution

An accessible and wide-ranging introduction to the origins and evolution of human language, first published in 2000.

Jean Aitchison (Author)

9780521785716, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 4 May 2000

296 pages, 35 b/w illus. 5 maps 1 table
21.3 x 13.7 x 1.5 cm, 0.41 kg

'She [Aitchison] carries her learning lightly and writes in a most comprehensible and often amusing way … I wished I had been able to ask the many questions that the book raised in my mind but that is an indication of Professor Aitchison's ability to make the reader think.' The Expository Times

Human language is a weird communication system: it has more in common with birdsong than with the calls of other primates. In this wide-ranging and accessible overview, first published in 2000, Jean Aitchison explores the origins of human language and how it has evolved. She likens the search to a vast pre-historic jigsaw puzzle, in which numerous fragments of evidence must be assembled. Such evidence is pieced together from a mixture of linguistic and non-linguistic sources like evolution theory, archaeology, psychology, and anthropology. She explains why language is so strange, outlines recent theories about its origin, and discusses possible paths of evolution. Finally, Jean Aitchison considers what holds all languages together and prevents them from becoming unlearnably different from one another. The Seeds of Speech is a fascinating book that will appeal to everyone who is interested in the origins and evolution of human language, including linguists, anthropologists, psychologists, archaeologists, and the general reader.

Preface
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 secong 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
Symbols used in the text
Notes and suggestions for further reading
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Linguistics [CF]