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Origins of Language: A Slim Guide
James R. Hurford
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Description for Origins of Language: A Slim Guide
Paperback. .
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 ... Read more
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 ... Read more
Product Details
Publisher
Oxford University Press, USA
Format
Paperback
Publication date
2014
Condition
New
Weight
248g
Number of Pages
182
Place of Publication
Oxford, United Kingdom
ISBN
9780198701880
SKU
V9780198701880
Shipping Time
Usually ships in 4 to 8 working days
Ref
99-2
About James R. Hurford
James R. Hurford is Emeritus Professor at the University of Edinburgh, where he was previously Professor of General Linguistics from 1979 until his retirement in 2009. Over the last 25 years he has pioneered the rebirth of serious scientific interest in the origins and evolution of language. He co-founded with Chris Knight the biennial international conferences on the evolution of ... Read more
Reviews for Origins of Language: A Slim Guide
This short guide to modern empirical research on language evolution provides a breezy and readable introduction to the many issues involved in understanding how humans came to possess one of our most prized capacities: our ability to acquire and use language.
Tecumseh Fitch, University of Vienna
Tecumseh Fitch, University of Vienna