内容

目次

Preface; Part I. Puzzles: 1. A natural curiosity: how did languagebegin?; 2. A peculiar habit: what is language for?; 3. The bother at Babel:why do languages differ so much?; 4. Distinct duties: is language anindependent skill?; Part II. Origin: 5. The family tree: the evolutionarybackground; 6. A devious mind: the basic requirements; 7. Broken air:inherited ingredients; 8. Small beginnings: first steps; Part III. Evolution:9. The secong word: the emergence of rules; 10. The tower of speech:expansion; 11. Time travelling: extra attachments; 12. Rebuilding on the highseas: keeping going; Part IV. Diffusion: 13. The widening circle: movingoutwards; 14. The hidden core: the hunt for universals; 15. The realmagician: ruling the rules; 16. Unweaving the rainbow: separating thestrands; 17. The endless stair: past and future; Symbols used in the text;Notes and suggestions for further reading; References; Index.