Human evolution; Chomsky Everett language fight (Introduction)

by David Turell , Sunday, April 19, 2020, 20:24 (1677 days ago) @ dhw

QUOTE: "Recursion is not the basis of human language. One language shows that. Language does not seem to be innate. There seems to be no narrow faculty of language nor any universal grammar. Language is ancient and emerges from general human intelligence, the need to build communities and cultures."

dhw: For what it’s worth, I am 100% in agreement with this. Of course many languages have influenced one another, but I would suggest that all the original languages were the result of the universal need for communication, which led to different communities producing their own sets of sounds to meet with their needs.

I fully agree. I find the fight interesting.