Lecture 14- Language evolution and words 1

Question 1

Is language universal?

Answer 1

Yes, present in all human societies

Question 2

How does the complexity of human language compare to that of other species?

Answer 2

• Way more complex

- As involves taking things and putting them together/ there is a lot of stuff going on

Question 3

What is pragmatics?

Answer 3

The use of language e.g. conversation

Question 4

What is Morphology?

Answer 4

• The study of Morphemes

- Morphemes are the smallest possible form with meaning

Question 5

What is syntax?

Answer 5

Putting words together (made of morphemes) to create phrases and sentences

Question 6

What is phonology/ phonetics?

Answer 6

Study of sounds or body language (if sign language)

Question 7

Is it likely that the complexity of human language is due to us being smarter?

Answer 7

No, this doesn’t align as some species are close in brain size/ smartness but far away form us in terms of the complexity of their language

Question 8

What are some examples of complex behaviour in animals being determined biologically?

Answer 8

• Bee dance

- Beaver building dams

Question 9

It it likely that the diversity of humans results in language being so complex?

Answer 9

No:

• We are more similar to each other than relationship between other species
• We are all about the same even if there is some diversity between individuals.
• There is less genetic diversity across the entire globe as there is the sub-Sahara desert (founder effect).

Question 10

What does a morpheme involve?

Answer 10

A FORM, a MEANING, and an ASSOCIATION between the two.

Question 11

How do the vocal tracts of chimps and humans compare?

Answer 11

• Pharyngeal cavity + frontal/ oral cavity is long for humans but short for Chimpanzees
• This is an important different as when speaking humans generate different resonance/ sounds by changing the shape of the cavities with the movement of our mouth/tongue. Chimpanzees can’t do this so can’t produce the same variety of sounds.

Question 12

What can mammals do with regards to language that humans can also do?

Answer 12

-Other animals can learn forms
-Other animals can learn meanings
-Other animals can associate forms and meanings
and learn some human words

Question 13

What are some examples of experiments teaching primates to communicate?

Answer 13

• Primates hands are quite similar to ours so focused on teaching them a form of sign language (Koko)
• Also a study with Kanzi where the researcher taught him to use lexigrams (associate symbols with sounds then link to meaning)

Question 14

What made it possible for Kanzi to learn to use lexigrams to communicate in a way humans can not?

Answer 14

Chimpanzees have extraordinary short-term (visual)

memory

Question 15

How fast can we as humans learn words?

Answer 15

• By 13 have 30, 0000- 40, 000 words

- Averages at learning 8 words a day

Question 16

What are the steps in the Corballis model?

Answer 16

• Step One: Bipedalism
• Step Two: Pointing
• Step Three: Iconic Gestures
• Step Four: Iconic to Arbitrary

Question 17

What does arbitrary mean?

Answer 17

Be able to map any form to an idea at any time that is possible

Question 18

What is a limitation of most animal communication?

Answer 18

Focuses on the physically present, almost exclusively

can’t communicate about things beyond the present

Question 19

What is an exception to the limitation in animal communication? Why do we see this?

Answer 19

• The bee has displaced communication where it describes food at some unpredictable distance
• Difference is that like us bees rely on each other socially to work together in order to be able to figure things out (e.g. for humans scavenging and hunting shows this)