EVOLUTIONARY FRAMEWORK FOR THE LANGUAGE FACULTY

摘要

Due to the nature of the subject, the field of language evolution has to rely largely ontheoretical considerations. A coherent fundamental framework for approaching language evolution has to relate principles of evolution of complex traits with those governing theorganization of cognitive processes, communication and natural language architecture.We suggest that by treating the language faculty as a complex trait with predefinedfunctional interfaces, it is possible to delineate the evolutionary forces that have led to theemergence of natural language. We analyze embedding and recursion in communication,and propose a conceptual prerequisite for natural language and fully symbolic reference:a hierarchical way of conceptualization termed 'conceptual embedding' (the ability to nestconcepts within concepts). We go on to hypothesize that, initially, the selective forcedriving the development of the language faculty was towards enhanced conceptualizationof reality. According to this scenario, the invention of linguistic communication was asecondary event, dependent on conceptual embedding which supports the sophisticatedconceptual underpinnings of linguistic meaning.