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Why are there so many differant languages ? Chomsky on languages great mysteries
Posted on: October 24, 2009 - 3:49am
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Why are there so many differant languages ? Chomsky on languages great mysteries
Can anyone tell me why there are so many languages ? bigthink.com/noamchomsky/noam-chomsky-on-languages-great-mysteries Signature ? How ? Bookmark/Search this post with: |
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Because, like religions and species, languages evolve, and evolution produces diversity.
Yep, it really is that simple.
Languages evolved in many different parts of the world, with limited or no communication with each other, so such diversity, rather than being a mystery, was inevitable.
There is apparently a significant common structure in our brains which determines the general structure of the grammar of languages ( see Steven Pinker), but the details of the structure and the mapping of phonemes to the elements of the grammar are largely contingent.
Favorite oxymorons: Gospel Truth, Rational Supernaturalist, Business Ethics, Christian Morality
"Theology is now little more than a branch of human ignorance. Indeed, it is ignorance with wings." - Sam Harris
The path to Truth lies via careful study of reality, not the dreams of our fallible minds - me
From the sublime to the ridiculous: Science -> Philosophy -> Theology
Yes ! Stephen Pinker is really good,I read a few of his books, " Stuff of Thought " and " Blank Slate and Book TV had him on for a three hour discussion about his work and his influences.
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