Re: Is language development evolutionary, or designed by the culture?

Ken Shackleton wrote:
>
> John Sorvari wrote:
> > Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> > > ...
> > > Surely language evolved "because" it enhanced the survival probability
> > > of its users?
> >
> > I can't tell how formally you are writing. If by "language evolved" you
> > mean "language came into being" (as too many do), then the statement is
> > not clearly true. A common conterexample is the uselessness for flight
> > of a partially developed wing. As I understand it, variations come into
> > being "at random" and are _retained_ because they enhance survival--in
> > some way not necessarily related to the current use.
>
> In my original question, I was looking for the consensus view on how
> language changes over time....not the origin of language per se.
>
> I have read in several sources that language evolves....using precisely
> the same mechanisms that have been observed in biological evolution.
> This view makes perfect sense to me, but I was looking for other
> opinions.

That doesn't make sense. How does, say, OV vs. VO provide a selectional
advantage? or presence vs. absence of interdentals?
--
Peter T. Daniels grammatim@xxxxxxx
.

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