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Language Evolution:
The View from Restricted Linguistic Systems
Published by
LOT
Janskerkhof 13a
3512 BL Utrecht
The Netherlands
phone: +31 30 253 6006
fax: +31 30 253 6406
e-mail: lot@let.uu.nl
http://www.lotschool.nl
Cover illustration: evolving fish © Matthew Hertel
ISBN: 978-90-78328-78-0
NUR 616
Copyright © 2009 by the individual authors. All rights reserved.
Language Evolution:
The View from Restricted Linguistic Systems
Edited by
Rudolf Botha
Henriëtte de Swart
LOT
UTRECHT
2009
Preface
This volume offers a sample of the work on the theme
Restricted linguistic
systems as windows on language genesis
done by a research group at the
Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS) in the 2005-2006 academic
year. A central concern of the group was to investigate facets of the evolution
of language – as one of the forms of language genesis – by adopting what has
come to be known as the "Windows Approach". Two ideas are fundamental to
this approach: the recognition that no direct evidence of the evolution of
language has survived, and the working assumption that at least some facets of
the evolution of language can be studied by investigating other phenomena
about which there is direct evidence. The group pursued in depth the idea that
linguistic systems which are restricted in terms of formal means and functions
can legitimately serve as "windows" on language evolution. In particular, the
group examined the "window" potential of pidgins and related contact varieties,
of the linguistic systems acquired naturally by adults learning a second
language, of homesigns and other sign language systems and, finally, of early
non-grammaticalized language as well.
All chapters in this volume arise from extensive additional work on draft
articles or papers presented at conferences. Chapter 1 outlines the conceptual
framework employed in various other chapters; it can, accordingly, be used as
an introduction to them. In addition, each chapter includes an Abstract that
provides a good idea of what it is about. Many of the outcomes of the work by
group members have been or will be published elsewhere in the form of
articles, chapters of books, and full-length monographs. Details of such further
publications are to hand in the references supplied in various chapters.
Without the generous support, financial and otherwise, given by NIAS, it
would not have been possible for the members of the group to work on the
"windows" project, either individually or collectively. On behalf of all group
members, too, we would like to express our gratitude to the NIAS management
and staff for the numerous ways in which they contributed to making our stay
in Wassenaar so productive and pleasant. Last, but by no means least, we are
most grateful to Connie Park for the professional way in which she has gone
about compiling and reformatting the manuscript of this volume.
Rudolf Botha, Stellenbosch/Utrecht
Henriëtte de Swart, Utrecht
October 2008

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