sg2001

Why is L the way it is?: 

Why is L the way it is? Because of: The whims of fashion Social Conventions The language module in the brain Universal Grammar The efficiency and effectiveness with which it fulfils its Functions Prior languages of which it is an (imperfect) copy Cultural Evolution

Explanations:: 

Explanations: Causal Functional Historical Types: Structure:

Manifestations of Language: 

Manifestations of Language Texts (external) Behaviour (mind and body) Competence (mind) Social institution (mind pool) Some abstract essence that one can know about (????)

Slide4: 

‘of’ TEXTS INSTANCES OF LINGUISTIC BEHAVIOUR (productive and/or receptive) INDIVIDUAL LINGUISTIC COMPETENCE result in trigger informs constrains informs shapes POOL/NETWORK of COMPETENCES within a COMMUNITY Theories, ideas, abstract knowledge consists of / emerges from

Why and how may language have evolved?: 

Why and how may language have evolved? How does language help an organism survive and reproduce? How may it have evolved gradually from non-language? Was there ever one proto-language and what may it have been like? What is the relation between universal characteristics of human language and its evolutionary origin?

How does language increase thefitness of an organism? or rather: that of the genes in the organism?: 

How does language increase the fitness of an organism? or rather: that of the genes in the organism? models reality allows safe thought experiments communicates information about the world allows individuals to profit from experiences made by others conveys information about the speakers allows quick recognition of friends and foes manipulates others allows one to make others serve one’s own interests makes information tradable allows one to give without losing

Slide8: 

Vervet alarm calls

1: hardwired primate comunication (examples invented!!): 

1: hardwired primate comunication (examples invented!!)

2: Sensitivity for differences among individual styles of vocalisation evolves: 

In large groups it is necessary to keep track of who-is-who. As grooming became increasingly vocal, acoustic/articulatory cues became increasingly important for identifying and recognizing individuals. 2: Sensitivity for differences among individual styles of vocalisation evolves

3: The learnability of signs makes the number of signs explode: 

Once signs (i.e. form-meaning realtionships) cease to be fully hardwired and children have to learn them through observation instead, it is conceivable that they might attribute new meanings also to signs which had been hitherto been comparatively meaningless or to acquire novel meaning distinctions. 3: The learnability of signs makes the number of signs explode

Slide13: 

Physiological adaptations to the word chimp human

4: The need for ever more signs leads to physiological adaptations as well as to the emergence of syntax and phonology: 

The human vocal tract acquires its present shape, which is otherwise non-adaptive. Sign-compositionality yields syntax (AB = A + B) Duality yields phonology (AB = C) 4: The need for ever more signs leads to physiological adaptations as well as to the emergence of syntax and phonology The number of possible signs and combinations of such ‚soon‘ becomes practically infinite

5: Linguistic signs become cultural replicators: 

While vocal signs might once have been genetically determined and neurally hardwired, they have now become partly liberated from genetic and bodily control: They are free to take a huge number of shapes and form a huge number of patterns. These patterns vary freely, and replicate independently of their bodily substrates. As systems of replicating and variable patterns, languages become capable of history. 5: Linguistic signs become cultural replicators

6: Summary: 

Step 0: vocal signs hardwired socialisation through grooming Step 1: socialisation through vocal grooming variable aspects of vocal signs become learnable Step 2: vocal signs increasingly learnable principle of signification generalised info trade, thought experiments become possible Step 3: language complexifies, acquires its modern shape enormous number of possible signs and patterns Step 3‘: possible signs compete for actualisation language internal evolution begins 6: Summary

What is the relation between universal characteristics of human language and its evolutionary origin? : 

The scenario outlines predicts that: language should be variable in order to fulfil its social functions (compatible with Chomsky but not in his spirit) communicatively efficient and effective (to minimise speaking costs and maximise speaking effects; compatible with functionalist approaches) able to represent information about the world What is the relation between universal characteristics of human language and its evolutionary origin?

Slide18: 

‘of’ TEXTS INSTANCES OF LINGUISTIC BEHAVIOUR (productive and/or receptive) INDIVIDUAL LINGUISTIC COMPETENCE result in trigger informs constrains informs shapes POOL/NETWORK of COMPETENCES within a COMMUNITY Theories, ideas, abstract knowledge consists of / emerges from

Slide19: 

Der Kompetenz-Verhalten-Text-Zyklus

Slide20: 

C B T1 informs T2 alters informs produces B

Slide21: 

Transformational View of Language Change Language as ‘Organism’, Language as ‘Social System’, etc. ... A ‚wird zu‘ H

Slide22: 

Language as a Darwinian System ¨ Replicators : NEURAL CELL ASSEMBLIES that acquire their identities from the way in which they are linked up with one another. They ‘represent’ linguistic elements from phonemes over words to syntactic constituents or concepts. They govern linguistic BEHAVIOUR and produce cultural artefacts, i.e. TEXTS . BRAINS come equipped with a propensity to make sense of their environment, including crucially texts. When they do so the neural networks of which they consist SELF-ORGANISE INTO structures that contain COPIES of the Cell Assemblies which originally produced the texts. Thereby the former have replicated. ¨ Imperfect Copying Fidelity inherent in the special type of replication. ¨ Differential Replication : Ease of productio n, ease of perception, learnability, usefulness ... legions of well established factors ¨ External Limits on Sustainability : obvious limits on memory.

Slide23: 

A A A H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H R s that replicate before disintegrating R s that disintegrate before replicating G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8