Origin & Evolution of Languages

[Nicholas Widdows]

> Dr. John E. McLaughlin; then Steven Schaufele; then Moderator :

[snip dispute whether evolution is change]

Me:

Evolution is accumulation or proliferation of change. Life-forms and
languages both constantly evolve, but the processes are unrelated. Darwin
and Wallace didn't discover evolution of life, they discovered that natural
selection is a sufficient cause of it. In language other causes are probably
dominant (as it's hard to see selective advantage in most changes).

One of the most recent large biological evolutionary changes in humans was
the acquisition of language organs in the brain (assuming some such theory
as fact...). This cleared the board for a whole new radiation of linguistic
evolution, which continues. This is the only point at which the two examples
of evolution meet.

The equation of "evolution" with "evolution by natural selection" is common
and natural, though it isn't even valid in biology, and the usage might now
be so firmly established that it's unwise to use the word in any other
correct sense, where there's any danger of conflict. It now sounds like
either a metaphor derived from biology, or an attempt to derive conclusions
by generalization of the discoveries of biology.

If we're obliged to accept this common usage, we can speak literally and
correctly of evolution in modern language by thinking of the organ
acquisition as akin to the Cambrian invention of Baupla"ne, and everything
since as an equilibrium that hasn't been punctuated, rich in neutral
changes.

HTH
Nicholas