Language

From EvoWiki

A language is a method between which ideas are communicated between animals, especially humans. Language can refer to many modes of communication including speech, writing, gesturing and several other less common methods. Not all forms of communication constitute "language," however. A form of communication is considered a language if it is learned rather than innate, has basic units of meaning that combine according to a particular set of rules referred to as syntax, and these can be used to communicate abstract thought.

1 Structure
2 Evolution
3 Linguistic Evolution
4 Evolution of the capacity for language
5 See also

[edit] Structure

Languages are somewhat hierarchically constructed of basic units of meaning called morphemes, which are combined according to a set of grammatical rules known as syntax. Most human languages are spoken, or vocalized.

Morphemes generally consist of one or more phonemes. In these languages, the smallest unit of information is called a phoneme. In spoken language, phonemes consist of basic sounds, such as consonants or vowels. In signed languages, phonemes consist of basic units such as hand shape and basic motions.

Morphemes that can stand alone are called free morphemes, while morphemes that much occur as part of a word are called bound morphemes. For example, the word "cats" contains two morphemes, "cat", which is a free morpheme, and -s, which is a bound morpheme, specifically a plural suffix.

[edit] Evolution

The phrase "evolution of language" has multiple meanings. One is the change of languages over time, or linguistic evolution, which stands in contrast with the evolution of the capacity for language.

[edit] Linguistic Evolution

Like organisms, languages replicate themselves. As a result of this replication, languages, which may be considered memes, evolve by a method of mutation and natural selection that is roughly analogous to biological evolution.

Linguistic evolution does tend to result in a mostly tree-like phylogeny. However, since memes are more easily combined than genes, the phenomenon of horizontal transfer plays a much larger role in linguistic evolution than in biology, to the extent that groups of languages in close contact will sometimes resemble each other more than languages related by ancestry, a phenomenon known as a sprachbund. Some linguists, such as the Australian RMW Dixon, have proposed that, in some parts of the world, the family tree model has little relevance, as borrowing ("horizontal transfer") overwhelms "normal" processes ("vertical transfer")

Most languages in the world are grouped into one of many language families with other languages with which they are believed to share a common linguistic ancestor.

[edit] Evolution of the capacity for language

The evolutionary origin of human linguistic ability is a matter of some controversy at this time. The largest point of contention is when in the history of humanity language evolved. Whether language evolved "early" or "late" in our evolutionary history is considered an important unsolved problem in the study of human evolution.

It is unclear from fossil evidence whether Neanderthals had the same linguistic capacity as modern Homo sapiens: this includes the presence of Broca's area and Wernicke's area in the left hemisphere of the brain, and the position of the larynx in the throat.