The origins of language : a slim guide /

The origins of language : a slim guide /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:	Hurford, James R., author.
Edition:	First edition.
Imprint:	Oxford, United Kingdom : Oxford University Press, 2014.
Description:	173 pages ; 22 cm.
Language:	English
Series:	Oxford linguistics Oxford linguistics.
Subject:	Language and languages -- Origin. Historical linguistics. Historical linguistics. Language and languages -- Origin.
Format:	Print Book
URL for this record:	http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/9967753

Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:	9780198701880 0198701888 9780198701668 0198701667
Notes:	Includes bibliographical references (page 166) and index.
Summary:	Origins of Language: A Slim Guide offers a concise and accessible overview of what is known about the evolution of the human capacity for language. Non-human animals communicate in simple ways: they may be able to form simple concepts, to feel some limited empathy for others, to cooperate to some extent, and to engage in mind-reading. Human language, however, is characterized by its ability to efficiently express a wide range of subtle and complex meanings. After the first simple beginnings, human language underwent an explosion of complexity, leading to the very complicated systems of grammar and pronunciation found in modern languages. Jim Hurford looks at the very varied aspects of this evolution, covering human prehistory; the relation between instinct and learning; biology and culture; trust, altruism, and cooperation; animal thought; human and non-human vocal anatomy; the meanings and forms of the first words; and the growth of complex systems of grammar and pronunciation. Written by an internationally recognized expert in the field, it draws on a number of disciplines besides linguistics, including philosophy, neuroscience, genetics, and animal behaviour, and will appeal to a wide range of readers interested in language origins and evolution.

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Call Number:	P116 .H87 2014
c.1	Available Loan period: standard loan Scan and Deliver Request for Pickup Need help? - Ask a Librarian