Newsgroups: sci.lang
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!rutgers!news.sgi.com!www.nntp.primenet.com!nntp.primenet.com!netcom.com!petrich
From: petrich@netcom.com (Loren Petrich)
Subject: Re: Language Hard-Wired in the Brain?
Message-ID: <petrichDxM3B3.LuF@netcom.com>
Keywords: language origin
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
References: <4vv851$evi@server-b.cs.interbusiness.it> <seagoat.541.00CD9DB8@primenet.com> <petrichDxJzDy.8t7@netcom.com> <seagoat.543.02080E97@primenet.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Sep 1996 08:52:15 GMT
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Sender: petrich@netcom15.netcom.com

In article <seagoat.543.02080E97@primenet.com>,
John A. Halloran <seagoat@primenet.com> wrote:

	[Coevolution of speech and larynx descent...]

	Mr. Halloran certainly understands my presentation well.

>This is clearly very different from my theory which is that the concept of 
>consciously using standardized speech sounds as abstract symbols was a 
>nonobvious invention.  Furthermore, I believe it was an invention that became 
>necessary only when humans became sedentary enough that it was necessary to 
>have a learned standard way of communicating with the relative strangers that 
>began to live together in villages.

	Which does not explain the numerous Paleolithic-level societies 
that have had language. Especially in places very distant from the 
Fertile Crescent.

>If language did not evolve until the Neolithic as an abstract representational 
>system, the vocal tract could still have evolved to support paralanguage. ...

	Language, by any other name...

-- 
Loren Petrich				Happiness is a fast Macintosh
petrich@netcom.com			And a fast train
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