Labels, Cognomes and Cyclic Computation: An Ethological Perspective
For the past two decades, it has widely been assumed by linguists that there is a single computational operation, Merge, which is unique to language, distinguishing it from other cognitive domains. The intention of this paper is to progress the discussion of language evolution in two ways: (i) surve...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2015-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00715/full |
| _version_ | 1811316223524208640 |
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| author | Elliot eMurphy |
| author_facet | Elliot eMurphy |
| author_sort | Elliot eMurphy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | For the past two decades, it has widely been assumed by linguists that there is a single computational operation, Merge, which is unique to language, distinguishing it from other cognitive domains. The intention of this paper is to progress the discussion of language evolution in two ways: (i) survey what the ethological record reveals about the uniqueness of the human computational system, and (ii) explore how syntactic theories account for what ethology may determine to be human-specific. It is shown that the operation Label, not Merge, constitutes the evolutionary novelty which distinguishes human language from non-human computational systems; a proposal lending weight to a Weak Continuity Hypothesis and leading to the formation of what is termed Computational Ethology. Some directions for future ethological research are suggested. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T11:46:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7e2d5c25f7c34726941c04b3d259224f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T11:46:07Z |
| publishDate | 2015-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-7e2d5c25f7c34726941c04b3d259224f2022-12-22T02:48:11ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782015-06-01610.3389/fpsyg.2015.00715144329Labels, Cognomes and Cyclic Computation: An Ethological PerspectiveElliot eMurphy0University College LondonFor the past two decades, it has widely been assumed by linguists that there is a single computational operation, Merge, which is unique to language, distinguishing it from other cognitive domains. The intention of this paper is to progress the discussion of language evolution in two ways: (i) survey what the ethological record reveals about the uniqueness of the human computational system, and (ii) explore how syntactic theories account for what ethology may determine to be human-specific. It is shown that the operation Label, not Merge, constitutes the evolutionary novelty which distinguishes human language from non-human computational systems; a proposal lending weight to a Weak Continuity Hypothesis and leading to the formation of what is termed Computational Ethology. Some directions for future ethological research are suggested.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00715/fullanimal cognitionlanguage evolutionMinimalismLabeling effectsformal language theorycognome |
| spellingShingle | Elliot eMurphy Labels, Cognomes and Cyclic Computation: An Ethological Perspective Frontiers in Psychology animal cognition language evolution Minimalism Labeling effects formal language theory cognome |
| title | Labels, Cognomes and Cyclic Computation: An Ethological Perspective |
| title_full | Labels, Cognomes and Cyclic Computation: An Ethological Perspective |
| title_fullStr | Labels, Cognomes and Cyclic Computation: An Ethological Perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | Labels, Cognomes and Cyclic Computation: An Ethological Perspective |
| title_short | Labels, Cognomes and Cyclic Computation: An Ethological Perspective |
| title_sort | labels cognomes and cyclic computation an ethological perspective |
| topic | animal cognition language evolution Minimalism Labeling effects formal language theory cognome |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00715/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elliotemurphy labelscognomesandcycliccomputationanethologicalperspective |