The Origins and Evolution of Generative Capacity for Human Language Structures

HANDLE Web Site Open Access
  • FUJITA, Haruka
    Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • 人間言語における構造生成能力の起源・進化
  • ニンゲン ゲンゴ ニ オケル コウゾウ セイセイ ノウリョク ノ キゲン ・ シンカ

Search this article

Abstract

This paper aims to present a comprehensive hypothesis on the origins and evolution of human language by focusing on the structure generation as a central part of the language faculty. Among the subsystems of human language, syntactic computational system and lexical system play a major role in generating language structures. Most studies based on generative grammar regard syntactic computational system and its basic operation Merge as a unique capacity to human language. However, I claim that Merge in human language is a general capacity shared by regions other than language, and what evolved uniquely in human language is lexical items rather than Merge itself. This paper also proposes an evolutionary scenario of the emergence of lexical items by decomposing the issue of the origins and evolution of lexical items into primitive concepts and general Merge. This scenario partly adopts the perspective of Cognitive Linguistics. The arguments in this paper suggest the possibility of collaborative researches between linguistics and other fields such as comparative psychology and ethology.

Journal

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

Report a problem

Back to top