The Origins of Complex Language: An Inquiry into the Evolutionary Beginnings of Sentences, Syllables, and Truth (Oxford Linguistics) [Paperback]

Andrew Carstairs-McCarthy (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0198238215 | ISBN-13: 978-0198238218 | Publication Date: June 10, 1999

This book proposes a new theory of the origins of human language ability and presents an original account of the early evolution of language. It explains why humans are the only language-using animals, challenges the assumption that language is a consequence of intelligence, and offers a new perspective on human uniqueness. Brilliantly executed, this book draws on evidence from archaeology, linguistics, cognitive science and evolutionary biology.

Editorial Reviews

Review

`an extremely interesting line of inquiry' Wolfram Hinzen, Linguistics and Philosophy

`for those aiming to demote language origins to the status of a mechanical puzzle, this book offers an ingenious solution.' Chris Knight

`This book offers a superb review of recent debates on the origins of language, supported by an exhaustive and up-to-date bibliography. This in itself makes it a worthwhile buy. The scholarship is meticulous, displaying close familiarity with most central controversies in the field. Carstairs-McCarthy not only reviews others work; he also presents us with an original theory of his own. The novelty of his approach is the relentlessness with which he pursues mechanistic explanations for everything.' Chris Knight, JRAI, June 2000.

`I would recommend the book to anyone who is not afraid to confront a controversial approach to ideas about language' Laurie Bauer, Victoria University of Wellington

`surprisingly gripping, reading in some ways as much like a detective story as like the serious linguistic and philosophical treatise that it is.' Laurie Bauer, Victoria University of Wellington

`This book is a joy to read and review. It combines insight into differing theoretical approaches with a knowledge of recent developments in language acquisition, the structure of the brain, primatology, and human evolution. In addition, Andrew Carstairs-McCarthy writes in an engaging style that makes the reader want to learn more.' Catherine A. Callaghan, Ohio State University

`I urge readers with an interest in the evolution of language to buy this book. My brief synopsis cannot do it justice, and the author's detailed exposition of competing theories makes the book an ideal textbook for seminars on language evolution, even for those who disagree with his central thesis. His extensive bibliography facilitates further research into this fascinating subject.' Catherine A. Callaghan, Ohio State University

`I was dazzled by the level of erudition manifested by OCL and its uncanny ability to marshal an astonishingly diverse and seemingly unrelated set of facts in support of its controversial hypothesis. Whatever its flaws, there is nothing like it in the language evolution literature. This book, I predict, will take over from Bickerton's 'Language and Species' the status of point of departure for all linguistically informed studies of biological evolution of grammer' F Newmeyer, Journal of Linguistics

About the Author

Andrew Carstairs-McCarthy is at University of Canterbury, New Zealand.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (June 10, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198238215
• ISBN-13: 978-0198238218
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,937,822 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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