History of LanguageIt is tempting to take the tremendous rate of contemporary linguistic change for granted. What is required, in fact, is a radical reinterpretation of what language is. Steven Roger Fischer begins his book with an examination of the modes of communication used by dolphins, birds and primates as the first contexts in which the concept of "language" might be applied. As he charts the history of language from the times of Homo erectus, Neanderthal humans and Homo sapiens through to the nineteenth century, when the science of linguistics was developed, Fischer analyses the emergence of language as a science and its development as a written form. He considers the rise of pidgin, creole, jargon and slang, as well as the effects radio and television, propaganda, advertising and the media are having on language today. Looking to the future, he shows how electronic media will continue to reshape and re-invent the ways in which we communicate. "[a] delightful and unexpectedly accessible book ... a virtuoso tour of the linguistic world."—The Economist "... few who read this remarkable study will regard language in quite the same way again."—The Good Book Guide |
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Africa alphabet American ancient apes Austronesian Bantu bonobos borrowed Celtic Celts century BC Chinese languages communication complex comprise daughter languages developed dialects early East Easter Island Egyptian elaborate emerged Europe European evolved example family of languages French genetic German glyphs grammar Greek guage guistic historical linguistics hominids Homo erectus Homo sapiens human language humankind humpback identified indigenous Indo-European International Standard English Internet Island Italic languages Kanzi Koko language families language's Latin linguistic change linguistic science logograms logographic Mandarin Chinese Māori Middle Middle Chinese migrations millennium BC million years ago modern humans Neandertals Neogrammarian nineteenth century perhaps phonetic phonology Polynesian population primitive programming language Proto proto-language recent replaced Sanskrit script semantic Semitic sign language social society song sound Spanish speakers species Sumerian survive syllabic syntax theory tion tongue usage vocabulary vowels Vulgar Latin Welsh West Western whales word world language writing system