Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Language:
Phylogeny, Ontogeny, Typology
David Gil
phylogeny
ontogeny
typology
Isolating-Monocategorial-Associational
IMA
'mother'
Isolating-Monocategorial-Associational
Isolating
Monocategorial
Associational
tilfanti leavraham
tilfanti leavraham
xxx-telephone xxx-Abraham
A ( TELEPHONE, ABRAHAM )
'entity associated with telepone and Avraham'
* 'Beavers build dams'
'I telephoned Abraham'
monomorphemic
monomorphemic
'bicycle lane'
BICYCLE
THATAWAY
A ( BICYCLE, THATAWAY )
'entity associated with bicycle and thataway'
Phylogeny
Early human language was IMA language
Phylogeny
Early human language was IMA language
Ontogeny
Early child language is IMA language
Phylogeny
Early human language was IMA language
Ontogeny
Early child language is IMA language
Typology
Some languages come closer than others to IMA language
Phylogeny:
Early Human Language as IMA Language
Two hypotheses:
About cognition:
At some stage in evolution, the cognitive
abilities of humans or pre-humans were
limited to the representation of IMA language
About languages:
At some stage in evolution,
all natural languages were IMA languages
Orangutan (Chantek)
using ASL
LIZ HIDE
HIDE AUSTIN
WATER HIDE
HIDE PEANUT
YOU PULL
COME CHANTEK
BEARD PULL
PULL BEARD
Miles (1990)
HIDE
monomorphemic
HIDE
LIZ HIDE
A
HIDE
AUSTIN
P
WATER HIDE P
HIDE PEANUT
Orangutan (Chantek)
using ASL
A
YOU PULL
A
COME
CHANTEK
P
BEARD PULLP
PULL BEARD
HIDE
LIZ
HIDE
A ( LIZ, HIDE )
Conclusions:
IMA language ability can be reconstructed for
the common ancestor of humans and great apes,
some 10 mya (at least)
However, actual IMA languages occur
only in humans
There is a huge gap between the
evolution of IMA language ability
and the evolution of actual IMA languages
Where, when, and in what population(s)
did actual IMA languages first appear?
Homo Erectus
Neanderthals
Humans
Homo Erectus
Neanderthals
Humans
Homo Erectus
Neanderthals
Humans
Homo Erectus
Neanderthals
Humans
Homo Erectus
Neanderthals
Humans
Homo Erectus
Neanderthals
Humans
Homo Erectus
Neanderthals
Humans
Homo Erectus
Neanderthals
Humans
Conclusions:
while IMA language ability evolved
at least 10 mya, actual IMA languages
have been around for much less time
At present we know very little about
where, when and in what population(s)
actual IMA languages first arose
Hurt
knee
Hurt
truck
knee
Hurt
truck
monomorphemic
monomorphemic
knee
Hurt
truck
knee
C
truck
knee
HURT
KNEE
A ( HURT, KNEE )
'entity associated with hurt and knee'
Hurt
truck
HURT
TRUCK
A ( HURT, TRUCK )
'entity associated with hurt and truck'
Typology:
Riau Indonesian as a Relatively IMA Language
makan
CHICKEN
EAT
monomorphemic
monomorphemic
makan
CHICKEN
EAT
makan
CHICKEN
EAT
makan
CHICKEN
EAT
CHICKEN
EAT
A ( CHICKEN, EAT )
'entity associated with chicken and eat'
makan
CHICKEN
EAT
makan
CHICKEN
EAT
Mobil rusak
car
broken.down
Translator's dilemma:
'That car out there is broken down'
'There's a broken down car out there'
Linguist's dilemma:
predicative
attributive
rusak
CAR
BROKEN.DOWN
CAR
BROKEN.DOWN
A ( CAR, BROKEN.DOWN )
'entity associated with car and broken down'
stimulus 15
test picture
alternative picture
stimulus 15
test picture
alternative picture
stimulus 15
test picture
alternative picture
stimulus 15
test picture
alternative picture
stimulus 15
test picture
alternative picture
stimulus 15
test picture
alternative picture
stimulus 8
alternative picture
test picture
stimulus 8
Duit gembira
alternative picture
test picture
stimulus 14
alternative picture
test picture
stimulus 14
alternative picture
test picture
stimulus 6
alternative picture
test picture
stimulus 6
Kursi loncat
alternative picture
test picture
stimulus 3
text picture
alternative picture
stimulus 3
Anjing lukis
text picture
alternative picture
stimulus 11
text picture
alternative picture
stimulus 11
text picture
alternative picture
PerCore
PatAg
Vietn...
Lao
C Thai
Ind Man
Canton...
PRC Man
Ju|'hoan
Hebrew
C French
Papiam...
Sranan
Bislama
Twi
Fongbe
Yoruba
Languages
English
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Results
PerCore
PatAg
Vietn...
Lao
C Thai
Ind Man
Canton...
PRC Man
Ju|'hoan
Yoruba
Fongbe
Twi
Bislama
Sranan
Papiam...
C French
Hebrew
English
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Results 1/2
PerCore
PatAg
Meyah
Kapamp...
Palauan
Biak
Roon
Nage
Mentawai
Sunda
Minang
Jakarta I
Kupang M
Siak M
Riau I
Bengkulu
Papua M
Kucing M
KL M
Stand I
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Results 2/2
Experimental results
Lots of variation. Why?
Low Associationality
High Associationality
languages with
obligatory TAM marking
languages with
optional TAM marking
national languages
regional languages
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Local
Variant of National
National
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Local
National
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Minangkabau
Malay/Indonesian
dialects
Standard
Indonesian
Local
Variant of National
National
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Mandarin, Jakarta
Cantonese
Mandarin, Beijing
Variant of National
National
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Local
Variant of National
National
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Local
National
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Minangkabau
Malay/Indonesian
dialects
Standard
Indonesian
Local
Variant of National
National
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Mandarin, Jakarta
Cantonese
Mandarin, Beijing
Variant of National
National
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
European
Creole
West African
Khoisan
Chinese
MSEA
West Papuan
Malay/Indonesian
AN, West Nusantara
AN, East Nusantara
AN, Philippines & Micronesia
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
European
Creole
West African
Khoisan
Chinese
MSEA
West Papuan
Malay/Indonesian
AN, West Nusantara
AN, East Nusantara
AN, Philippines & Micronesia
Experimental results
Low Associationality
High Associationality
national languages
regional languages
why?
Towards an Explanation
noun/verb
distinction
tense/aspect
marking
asymmetry
predication
IMA
language
thematic role
assignment
Towards an Explanation
TAM
CHICKEN EAT
[NCHICKEN] [VEAT]
CHICKEN EAT
CHICKEN EAT
CHICKEN EAT
English
Roon
noun/verb
distinction
Towards an Explanation
tense/aspect
marking
Kapampangan
asymmetry
predication
Indonesian
IMA
language
thematic role
assignment
human
culture and
technology
human
language
more
complex
than
correlated
other animal
communication
how?
more
complex
than
other animal
culture and
technology
human
culture and
technology
human
language
greater
complexity
supports
greater
complexity
evolutionary
advantage
the archaeological angle
complex
complex
language
artifact
'Our chairs are wood chairs / Your chairs are bamboo chairs
'Our people are Dayak people / Your people are Batak people'
Conclusions
Phylogeny
Early human language was IMA language
Ontogeny
Early child language is IMA language
Typology
Some languages come closer than others to IMA language
Why do most contemporary adult human languages
have so much additional non-IMA structure?
Isolating-Monocategorial-Associational
Language:
Phylogeny, Ontogeny, Typology
David Gil
thank you