How language began : the story of humanity's greatest invention
(Book)
Author
Published
New York : Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W.W. Norton & Company, 2017.
Edition
First American Edition
Physical Desc
xviii, 330 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm.
Status
Description
Loading Description...
Also in this Series
Checking series information...
Copies
Location | Call Number | Status |
---|---|---|
Ruby Sisson Library - NONFICTION | 400 EVE, D | On Shelf |
More Copies In Prospector
Loading Prospector Copies...
More Details
Published
New York : Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W.W. Norton & Company, 2017.
Format
Book
Edition
First American Edition
Language
English
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 293-301) and index.
Description
Mankind has a distinct advantage over other terrestrial species: we talk to one another. But how did we acquire the most advanced form of communication on Earth? Daniel L. Everett, provides in this sweeping history a comprehensive examination of the evolutionary story of language, from the earliest speaking attempts by hominids to the more than seven thousand languages that exist today.Although fossil hunters and linguists have brought us closer to unearthing the true origins of language, Daniel Everetts discoveries have upended the contemporary linguistic world, reverberating far beyond academic circles. While conducting field research in the Amazonian rainforest, Everett came across an age-old language nestled amongst a tribe of hunter-gatherers. Challenging long-standing principles in the field, Everett now builds on the theory that language was not intrinsic to our species. In order to truly understand its origins, a more interdisciplinary approach is needed-one that accounts as much for our propensity for culture as it does our biological makeup.Language began, Everett theorizes, with Homo Erectus, who catalyzed words through culturally invented symbols. Early humans, as their brains grew larger, incorporated gestures and voice intonations to communicate, all of which built on each other for 60,000 generations. Tracing crucial shifts and developments across the ages, Everett breaks down every component of speech, from harnessing control of more than a hundred respiratory muscles in the larynx and diaphragm, to mastering the use of the tongue. Moving on from biology to execution, Everett explores why elements such as grammar and storytelling are not nearly as critical to language as one might suspect.In the books final section, Cultural Evolution of Language, Everett takes the ever-debated "language gap" to task, delving into the chasm that separates "us" from "the animals." He approaches the subject from various disciplines, including anthropology, neuroscience, and archaeology, to reveal that it was social complexity, as well as cultural, physiological, and neurological superiority, that allowed humans-with our clawless hands, breakable bones, and soft skin-to become the apex predator.How Language Began ultimately explains what we know, what wed like to know, and what we likely never will know about how humans went from mere communication to language. Based on nearly forty years of fieldwork, Everett debunks long-held theories by some of historys greatest thinkers, from Plato to Chomsky. The result is an invaluable study of what makes us human.20 illustrations; map
Reviews from GoodReads
Loading GoodReads Reviews.
Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Everett, D. L. (2017). How language began: the story of humanity's greatest invention (First American Edition). Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W.W. Norton & Company.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Everett, Daniel Leonard. 2017. How Language Began: The Story of Humanity's Greatest Invention. Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W.W. Norton & Company.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Everett, Daniel Leonard. How Language Began: The Story of Humanity's Greatest Invention Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W.W. Norton & Company, 2017.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Everett, Daniel Leonard. How Language Began: The Story of Humanity's Greatest Invention First American Edition, Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W.W. Norton & Company, 2017.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.
Staff View
Loading Staff View.