Description
"Language is mankind's greatest invention--except, of course, that it was never invented." So begins linguist Deutscher's investigation into the genesis and evolution of language. If we started off with rudimentary utterances on the level of "man throw spear," how did we end up with sophisticated grammars, enormous vocabularies, and intricately nuanced degrees of meaning? Drawing on recent discoveries in linguistics, Deutscher exposes the elusive forces of creation at work in human communication, giving us fresh insight into how language emerges, evolves, and decays. He traces the evolution of linguistic complexity from an early "Me Tarzan" stage to such elaborate single-word constructions as the Turkish sehirlilestiremediklerimizdensiniz ("you are one of those whom we couldn't turn into a town dweller"). He shows how the processes of destruction and creation are continuously in operation, generating new words, new structures, and new meanings.--From publisher description.… (more)
Publication
William Heinemann (2005), Edition: First Edition, 320 pages
User reviews
LibraryThing member keristars
Guy Deutscher's the Unfolding of Language is an attempt to show how language can develop into a complex structure of grammar and morphology from a more-or-less simple Thing-word + Action-word beginning (or, as Deutscher refers to it in the book, from the "me Tarzan" stage). While not comprehensive
The book is arranged in 7 chapters, plus an introduction and epilogue. Each of the first 6 chapters focusses on a single concept and how that idea works with language. Some of the earliest sections cover more-or-less basic ideas that are found in lots of discussion of language evolution, such as erosion and back-formation. Chapter 4, "Metaphors", was one of the more interesting sections to me, as it discusses how fairly solid and "real" Thing-words and Action-words (Deutscher attempts to avoid using "noun" and "verb" when discussing roots) can grow to encompass abstract ideas such as prepositions. I suppose this is kind of obvious, but Deutscher approached it in a novel way for me, which provided words and clarity to concepts I had previously only vaguely recognized. These first chapters also look at how new words or grammatical structures form, specifically via Latin and French verb-forms, and the desire for patterns in language that might not actually exist, such as in Semitic verb templates, or even more familiar English plurals - "cherry" from the singular "cherise" or "pea" from "pease".
The final chapter of the book uses the concepts as described previously to show how a simple "me Tarzan" story with only Things and Actions ("Girl fruit pick mammoth see turn") can become a much more "natural" modern story ("A girl who was picking fruit one day suddenly heard some movement behind her. She turned around and saw a huge mammoth..."). While new concepts are broached (especially relative clauses, but also reflexive pronouns and sentence word order, amongst others), each has a grounding in one of the previous chapters. On the whole, Deutscher makes it very easy to follow how languages change.
While I found The Unfolding of Language to be interesting and very worth my time reading, I was a bit frustrated at the lack of references to the end notes within the text. It is a pop-linguistics book, so notations could be distracting to the reader, and footnotes might make it seem too academic, but there were many places where I wanted to read more, and had to flip back and forth to see if there was a note with citations - sometimes there was, and sometimes not. I was also a bit dismayed that Deutscher insisted in the introduction that he would not cover the debate about the innateness of language (he instead has a note on page 310 with further reading on the matter), yet does refer off-hand from time to time to the "natural" way of language. He specifically points to the "me first" concept when discussing sentence word-order, and states that it is perfectly natural for us to use "me" before anything else when speaking. While I can see this as being true, I was rather hoping that he would have provided citations to a study so that I could learn more about this, yet he doesn't. I think it is a very fascinating field of study, that of how culture and language influence how one thinks and perceives. (I have since learned that Deutscher tends to fall on the "innate" side of the argument, rather than the side that says culture/language is very influential, which is where I stand.)
I really find that The Unfolding of Language is a good companion to John McWhorter's The Power of Babel. While Deutscher's book looks at the complexities of grammar and morphology (with a focus on English and the languages that heavily influenced English, save for the chapter on Semitic verb templates), McWhorter's is more about the sheer variety of languages and how they can diverge or fall together (such as multiple languages in Africa reducing complexities and becoming Swahili as an all-purpose trading language, which then became a first-language in itself). These two books are pretty much on the same topic, but with two different perspectives. Thus, some of the items repeat (such as explanations about erosion and back-formation, or discussions of the natural patterns of languages simplifying and becoming more complex, or even why there seems to be less change in modern languages than in the past and why so many are dying out completely).
I received The Unfolding of Language via the SantaThing program in 2010 and am very grateful that I had a Secret Santa who could pick out an excellent evolutionary linguistics book for me.
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of all possible variations in language or even all grammatical functions or types of sentences, the book does provide a template for how other complexities might develop beyond what Deutscher covers. As he says in the "small print" before really getting into this template, "the aim is only to suggest that it is possible, in principle, to understand how the whole edifice of complex grammar could have developed from a complex of much simpler principles. [...] The selection here must be highly selective, since it is impossible within one chapter to consider every single feature of even one language, let alone all languages" (p 224).The book is arranged in 7 chapters, plus an introduction and epilogue. Each of the first 6 chapters focusses on a single concept and how that idea works with language. Some of the earliest sections cover more-or-less basic ideas that are found in lots of discussion of language evolution, such as erosion and back-formation. Chapter 4, "Metaphors", was one of the more interesting sections to me, as it discusses how fairly solid and "real" Thing-words and Action-words (Deutscher attempts to avoid using "noun" and "verb" when discussing roots) can grow to encompass abstract ideas such as prepositions. I suppose this is kind of obvious, but Deutscher approached it in a novel way for me, which provided words and clarity to concepts I had previously only vaguely recognized. These first chapters also look at how new words or grammatical structures form, specifically via Latin and French verb-forms, and the desire for patterns in language that might not actually exist, such as in Semitic verb templates, or even more familiar English plurals - "cherry" from the singular "cherise" or "pea" from "pease".
The final chapter of the book uses the concepts as described previously to show how a simple "me Tarzan" story with only Things and Actions ("Girl fruit pick mammoth see turn") can become a much more "natural" modern story ("A girl who was picking fruit one day suddenly heard some movement behind her. She turned around and saw a huge mammoth..."). While new concepts are broached (especially relative clauses, but also reflexive pronouns and sentence word order, amongst others), each has a grounding in one of the previous chapters. On the whole, Deutscher makes it very easy to follow how languages change.
While I found The Unfolding of Language to be interesting and very worth my time reading, I was a bit frustrated at the lack of references to the end notes within the text. It is a pop-linguistics book, so notations could be distracting to the reader, and footnotes might make it seem too academic, but there were many places where I wanted to read more, and had to flip back and forth to see if there was a note with citations - sometimes there was, and sometimes not. I was also a bit dismayed that Deutscher insisted in the introduction that he would not cover the debate about the innateness of language (he instead has a note on page 310 with further reading on the matter), yet does refer off-hand from time to time to the "natural" way of language. He specifically points to the "me first" concept when discussing sentence word-order, and states that it is perfectly natural for us to use "me" before anything else when speaking. While I can see this as being true, I was rather hoping that he would have provided citations to a study so that I could learn more about this, yet he doesn't. I think it is a very fascinating field of study, that of how culture and language influence how one thinks and perceives. (I have since learned that Deutscher tends to fall on the "innate" side of the argument, rather than the side that says culture/language is very influential, which is where I stand.)
I really find that The Unfolding of Language is a good companion to John McWhorter's The Power of Babel. While Deutscher's book looks at the complexities of grammar and morphology (with a focus on English and the languages that heavily influenced English, save for the chapter on Semitic verb templates), McWhorter's is more about the sheer variety of languages and how they can diverge or fall together (such as multiple languages in Africa reducing complexities and becoming Swahili as an all-purpose trading language, which then became a first-language in itself). These two books are pretty much on the same topic, but with two different perspectives. Thus, some of the items repeat (such as explanations about erosion and back-formation, or discussions of the natural patterns of languages simplifying and becoming more complex, or even why there seems to be less change in modern languages than in the past and why so many are dying out completely).
I received The Unfolding of Language via the SantaThing program in 2010 and am very grateful that I had a Secret Santa who could pick out an excellent evolutionary linguistics book for me.
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LibraryThing member Cecilturtle
An excellent introduction to linguistics, this book explores language and its fluidity. The author chooses different styles and examples, infused with humor, to illustrate what could otherwise be dry concepts. I particularly enjoyed the fact that he looked at various languages and did not take a
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solely anglo-centric approach. Some chapters are longer than others, but all are instructive. The epilogue does a great job of recapitulating. It has even given me tools which I can concretely apply at work - invaluable! Show Less
LibraryThing member bragan
Deutscher takes a close look at the evolution of languages, specifically their grammar and structure. He explores the constant processes of building up and wearing down that all languages undergo -- for example, where did all those complicated Latin noun cases come from, and where did they
You definitely have to be a bit of a language geek for this one, I think. Deutscher deals with a lot of fiddly specifics and takes the reader very carefully through some highly detailed linguistic detective work. But he does so in a very clear and readable style, without using much technical jargon beyond what you might encounter in an advanced high school language class. Personally, since I am a bit of a language geek, albeit very much at a layman's level, I found it utterly fascinating. I think at one point, I might have actually raised my hands in the air and shouted, "Oh, nifty!" as some complicated bit of linguistic history suddenly popped into focus.
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disappear to? -- culminating in a highly speculative but plausible argument about how it's possible get from a very simple prehistoric "Me Tarzan" kind of language to the full complexity of modern languages in a completely natural way.You definitely have to be a bit of a language geek for this one, I think. Deutscher deals with a lot of fiddly specifics and takes the reader very carefully through some highly detailed linguistic detective work. But he does so in a very clear and readable style, without using much technical jargon beyond what you might encounter in an advanced high school language class. Personally, since I am a bit of a language geek, albeit very much at a layman's level, I found it utterly fascinating. I think at one point, I might have actually raised my hands in the air and shouted, "Oh, nifty!" as some complicated bit of linguistic history suddenly popped into focus.
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LibraryThing member Karen_Wells
This guy is the Darwin of Language - the major difference being that no one's ever heard of him. He lays out his theory with enthusiasm and wit, and though it's all unprovable in a sense, it's so elegant and sensible that you just know it must be right. Be warned that although he writes with great
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clarity for the non-specialist, you will still need every IQ point you can muster to get your head round some of what he says. Show Less
LibraryThing member steve02476
Intriguing exploration of how languages evolve, explaining how a super-simple primitive proto-language of basically just nouns and verbs could turn into the dizzyingly complex structures that all current languages have. As a side-benefit, he explains why people constantly (and for centuries)
Lots of humor and interesting literary and historical references. Explanations are careful and pretty simple, but sometimes the reasoning is very long and involves long series of steps — a little hard for my addled brain to follow. So I skimmed over some bits. But I was left full of wonder about language and the linguists who study it.
Note: he does-not- attempt to explain how language first started: those first utterances of isolated words. He says there is no evidence to support any real theory about it. But based on what we know about how language has changed in the last 6000 years or so, he does have solid theories about how language could grow and become more complex. But if you’re hoping to learn how people first learned to speak at all, this is not the book. And he is saying, sadly, that there may never be a convincing explanation of how language first began.
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complain that language is being corrupted and weakened.Lots of humor and interesting literary and historical references. Explanations are careful and pretty simple, but sometimes the reasoning is very long and involves long series of steps — a little hard for my addled brain to follow. So I skimmed over some bits. But I was left full of wonder about language and the linguists who study it.
Note: he does-not- attempt to explain how language first started: those first utterances of isolated words. He says there is no evidence to support any real theory about it. But based on what we know about how language has changed in the last 6000 years or so, he does have solid theories about how language could grow and become more complex. But if you’re hoping to learn how people first learned to speak at all, this is not the book. And he is saying, sadly, that there may never be a convincing explanation of how language first began.
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LibraryThing member Cygnus555
I very much enjoyed this book. I love language and I was constantly dazzled by Guy's wonderful descriptions on how it is formed. Very readable.
LibraryThing member ferebend
Fascinating book! I've given a good deal of thought to how language would've looked like in its earlier (hypotehtical) "Me Tarzan" stage and how it evolved through there. This is just what Deutscher talks about in this book. At first, I was worried that he'd go at things with a generativist bent,
He really presents his theory (technically, speculation, but this *is* historical linguistics we're talking about) in a coherent and accessible way. So accessible that I would definitely recommend this book to non-linguists with even a passing interest in language.
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but no. His theory of linguistic evolution is based on the need to communicate efficiently, the desire to be more expressive and a few general cognitive principles (like a natural craving for order). Very nice stuff.He really presents his theory (technically, speculation, but this *is* historical linguistics we're talking about) in a coherent and accessible way. So accessible that I would definitely recommend this book to non-linguists with even a passing interest in language.
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LibraryThing member LynnB
I'm not a linguist or historian, but have always been interested in words and language. Guy Deutscher's book is interesting and witty, and I learned a lot about how lanugage has evolved.
There are parts of the book that are a bit dry and you will need to exercise your brain to fully understand some
There are parts of the book that are a bit dry and you will need to exercise your brain to fully understand some
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of the sections. But it is, I think, worth the effort. Show Less
LibraryThing member ftong
Utterly fascinating. Deutscher contemplates how such complex grammatical structures as the Semitic verb could have arisen, why irregularities seem to keep cropping up, and what the grand trajectory of language looks like. The tone of this book is light and engaging.
LibraryThing member sabreader
Fascinating book showing how grammatical complexity evolves through creation and destruction, starting with just basic action and object words. Great section on Semitic verb templates.
LibraryThing member Miro
Before reading this book I naively thought that language changed with new technical words and borrowings from foreign languages.
Quite wrong. Deutscher shows that it has been undergoing fast evolution in its basic elements from the earliest times, and he traces the changes using written texts from
Evolution involves destruction and differential survival with the constant creation of new words. He shows convincingly how people have always looked for the easiest (most lazy) way to speak, giving a language of ever shorter words. Fortunately language is saved by a counterbalancing "word inflation" involving the stringing together of separate words to give more emphasis.
He gives a good example of the erosion / inflation process with the French for "today":
LATIN... hoc die > hodie > hui > OLD FRENCH... au jour d'hui MODERN FRENCH... aujourd'hui > aujour d'aujourd'hui.
It's also interesting that traditional and newer expressions co-exist (compete?) until one or the other fades out, eg. "Going to" vs "Gonna" or the way a simple idea like the "s" for plural in English eg. duck - ducks, can overwhelm earlier variants.
The book isn't an easy read but it's changed the way I look at language.
Quite wrong. Deutscher shows that it has been undergoing fast evolution in its basic elements from the earliest times, and he traces the changes using written texts from
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5000 year old Sumerian cuneiform to the present day.Evolution involves destruction and differential survival with the constant creation of new words. He shows convincingly how people have always looked for the easiest (most lazy) way to speak, giving a language of ever shorter words. Fortunately language is saved by a counterbalancing "word inflation" involving the stringing together of separate words to give more emphasis.
He gives a good example of the erosion / inflation process with the French for "today":
LATIN... hoc die > hodie > hui > OLD FRENCH... au jour d'hui MODERN FRENCH... aujourd'hui > aujour d'aujourd'hui.
It's also interesting that traditional and newer expressions co-exist (compete?) until one or the other fades out, eg. "Going to" vs "Gonna" or the way a simple idea like the "s" for plural in English eg. duck - ducks, can overwhelm earlier variants.
The book isn't an easy read but it's changed the way I look at language.
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LibraryThing member maailmaniag
So far, it's extremely interesting and fascinating.
LibraryThing member jaygheiser
Explains why languages appear to be getting progressively simpler, but actually are not. In reality, it is a continuous process of change, as words become longer, and constructions more complex, simplifying forces then reduce them in size.
LibraryThing member Cheryl_in_CC_NV
Couldn't get into it. I'm still curious to read theories about how language first started, but this promised to be a treatise on linguistic analysis, with a chapter at the end that goes back in time only as far as the 'me Tarzan' stage.
LibraryThing member thewalkinggirl
Engaging and insightful look into the history of human language. I really enjoyed the section on metaphors. I must admit, I kind of wish there'd been some discussion of the evolution of tonal and clicking languages (like Chinese and !Kung, respectively) but the focus of this book is on grammar and
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syntax rather than pronunciation. Still, I think the beautifully annotated reading recommendations at the end may keep me happily entertained for quite a while. Show Less
LibraryThing member name99
Wow. Astonishingly good!
This is the book on linguistics I've been looking for my entire life.
Rather than get sidetracked with details, the author talks about what is known about how languages change over time, not just sound changes but changes in grammar and meaning. From this information he
And, to top it all, it's easy to read.
I cannot recommend this book enough.
As an aside, I imagine there are probably linguists out there who are already fuming at what the author has to say. Linguistics seems to breed a kind of small-minded pettiness that is astonishing to any normal scientist; witness the insane anger with which they treat the issue of grouping Native American languages together pace Joseph Greenberg. However for those of us interested in the big picture, I suspect this is a book that will be brought up fondly in many people's memories years from now.
This is the book on linguistics I've been looking for my entire life.
Rather than get sidetracked with details, the author talks about what is known about how languages change over time, not just sound changes but changes in grammar and meaning. From this information he
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creates a picture of how language, which seems too perfect to have arisen from nothing, could have evolved over time from the simplest stages (presumably a few concrete nouns and verbs) to the sophistication of prepositions and tenses, declensions and conjugations and subordinate clauses. Along the way we learn many man many fascinating things. This is basically The Origin of Species for languages. And, to top it all, it's easy to read.
I cannot recommend this book enough.
As an aside, I imagine there are probably linguists out there who are already fuming at what the author has to say. Linguistics seems to breed a kind of small-minded pettiness that is astonishing to any normal scientist; witness the insane anger with which they treat the issue of grouping Native American languages together pace Joseph Greenberg. However for those of us interested in the big picture, I suspect this is a book that will be brought up fondly in many people's memories years from now.
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LibraryThing member fist
For once the blurb quotes are real: this book WILL stretch your mind. A great overview of how language evolved, and is still evolving. Its examples span the globe, with prominent places for Indo-European, Semitic and Turkish. This is the best book on language that I've read in a long time; it
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answered many questions that I've been having for a long time, and provided just as many unexpected additional insights. The writing is accessible and clear, with just enough summarising to ensure that the reader takes all its points in. Language aficionados will love this. Show Less
LibraryThing member MarthaJeanne
This is a good book and the German translation is very well done. But after a while the details end up being more than I really eant to know.
LibraryThing member PattyLee
Very interesting. Author has engaging style and a sense of humor. He does go on a bit in certain parts, so just feel free to skim ahead. Dead horse and all that. Still worth reading.
LibraryThing member annbury
One of the best and most exciting books I've ever read on language (I am not a professional, but I am a devotee). He considers the ways in which language itself could have emerged and why it may have evolved in certain ways, rather than focussing on the emergence and development of specific
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lanquages, which is what a lot of historical linguistics does. Terrific book. Show Less
Subjects
Original language
English
Original publication date
2005