The Revolutionary Origins of Language
Chris Knight
Speech is unprecedented in the natural world. Yet human infants can learn the grammar of their native tongue so quickly, it is as if they knew the basics already. How did such a unique ability evolve, and what does it reveal about the nature of our species?Drawing on evolutionary and social anthropology, behavioural ecology, archaeology, and linguistics, Chris Knight and Jerome Lewis unearth the political and social origins of our capacity to speak. What they discover points to the revolutionary role played by women at every stage. It seems that formidable coalitions of women used laughter, song and dance to restrain the male potential for violence. In so doing, women established extraordinary levels of community-wide trust - precisely what was needed for linguistic creativity to flourish. 'The Revolutionary Origins of Language' is a bold and surprising assessment of the complex conditions which produced our most prized skill.
The Revolutionary Origins of Language
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