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What can language creation tell us about language evolution?
1Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago.
The American Psychologist
|December 22, 2025
Summary
The origin of language properties can be understood by examining children
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Evolutionary Biology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- The origin of human language is a complex question involving both biological and cultural evolution.
- Distinguishing between linguistically evolved properties is challenging.
- Homesign, a gestural communication system developed by deaf children without language models, offers insights.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary origins of language properties.
- To differentiate between biologically and culturally evolved linguistic traits.
Main Methods:
- Analyzing the properties of homesign systems created by deaf children.
- Comparing homesign properties to those found in natural human languages.
Main Results:
- Homesign systems exhibit many, but not all, properties of natural language.
- Properties present in homesign are candidates for biological evolution.
- Properties absent in homesign are candidates for cultural evolution.
Conclusions:
- Homesign provides a model for understanding the biologically innate components of language.
- The study distinguishes between innate linguistic universals and culturally transmitted language features.
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