{"product_id":"the-seeds-of-speech-language-origin-and-evolution-paperback-9780521785716","title":"The Seeds of Speech; Language Origin and Evolution (Paperback) 9780521785716","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eThe Seeds of Speech\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cfont size=\"5\"\u003eLanguage Origin and Evolution\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAn accessible and wide-ranging introduction to the origins and evolution of human language, first published in 2000.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eJean Aitchison (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9780521785716, Cambridge University Press\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003ePaperback, published 4 May 2000\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e296 pages, 35 b\/w illus.  5 maps  1 table\u003cbr\u003e21.3 x 13.7 x 1.5 cm, 0.41 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e'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\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eHuman 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.\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003ePreface\u003cbr\u003e Part I. Puzzles: 1. A natural curiosity: how did language begin?\u003cbr\u003e 2. A peculiar habit: what is language for?\u003cbr\u003e 3. The bother at Babel: why do languages differ so much?\u003cbr\u003e 4. Distinct duties: is language an independent skill?\u003cbr\u003e Part II. Origin: 5. The family tree: the evolutionary background\u003cbr\u003e 6. A devious mind: the basic requirements\u003cbr\u003e 7. Broken air: inherited ingredients\u003cbr\u003e 8. Small beginnings: first steps\u003cbr\u003e Part III. Evolution: 9. The secong word: the emergence of rules\u003cbr\u003e 10. The tower of speech: expansion\u003cbr\u003e 11. Time travelling: extra attachments\u003cbr\u003e 12. Rebuilding on the high seas: keeping going\u003cbr\u003e Part IV. Diffusion: 13. The widening circle: moving outwards\u003cbr\u003e 14. The hidden core: the hunt for universals\u003cbr\u003e 15. The real magician: ruling the rules\u003cbr\u003e 16. Unweaving the rainbow: separating the strands\u003cbr\u003e 17. The endless stair: past and future\u003cbr\u003e Symbols used in the text\u003cbr\u003e Notes and suggestions for further reading\u003cbr\u003e References\u003cbr\u003e Index.\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eSubject Areas: Linguistics [\u003ca title=\"See our other books on Linguistics\" href=\"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/search?q=%22Linguistics%20%5BCF%5D%22\"\u003eCF\u003c\/a\u003e]\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"Cambridge University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46001969398040,"sku":"9780521785716","price":21.89,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0730\/2037\/5320\/products\/9780521785716i_1db39631-93d9-4d0f-a288-2d62c08f8707.jpg?v=1691367915","url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/the-seeds-of-speech-language-origin-and-evolution-paperback-9780521785716","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}