Language evolution: syntax before phonology?
- Collier K Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland katie.collier@ieu.uzh.ch.
- Bickel B Department of Comparative Linguistics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- van Schaik CP Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Manser MB Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Townsend SW Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- 2014-06-20
Published in:
- Proceedings. Biological sciences. - 2014
animal communication
comparative approach
evolution
human language
phonology
syntax
Animals
Biological Evolution
Birds
Humans
Language
Mammals
English
Phonology and syntax represent two layers of sound combination central to language's expressive power. Comparative animal studies represent one approach to understand the origins of these combinatorial layers. Traditionally, phonology, where meaningless sounds form words, has been considered a simpler combination than syntax, and thus should be more common in animals. A linguistically informed review of animal call sequences demonstrates that phonology in animal vocal systems is rare, whereas syntax is more widespread. In the light of this and the absence of phonology in some languages, we hypothesize that syntax, present in all languages, evolved before phonology.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- bronze
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.1098/rspb.2014.0263
- PMID 24943364
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/198880
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