Language Evolution and Syntactic Theory

Anna R. Kinsella

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511596919

Evolution has not typically been recognised by linguists as a constraining factor when developing linguistic theories. This book demonstrates that our theories of language must reflect the fact that language has evolved. It critiques a currently dominant framework in the field of linguistics - the Minimalist Program - by showing how it fails to take evolution into account. It approaches the question of the evolution of human language in a novel way by applying findings from the field of evolutionary biology to language. Key properties associated with typically evolving systems are identified in language, and the shortcomings of the Minimalist Program in its outright rejection of these features are exposed. The book will be of interest to individual researchers and advanced students in linguistics, psychology, biology, anthropology and cognitive science.

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Language Evolution and Syntactic Theory

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-vi

Contents
pp vii-viii

List of figures
pp ix-ix

List of tables
pp x-x

Preface
pp xi-xii

List of abbreviations
pp xiii-xiv

1 - Constraining our theory of language
pp 1-38

2 - Language as a perfect system
pp 39-69

3 - Language as an evolvable system
pp 70-111

4 - Language as a recursive system
pp 112-159

5 - Language as a minimal system
pp 160-184

6 - Towards an evolvable theory of syntax
pp 185-194

Bibliography
pp 195-210

Index
pp 211-222

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Language Evolution and Syntactic Theory

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