LL-L "Evolution" 2010.08.17 (05) [EN]

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*L O W L A N D S - L - 17 August 2010 - Volume 05
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From: Mike Morgan <mwmbombay at gmail.com>

Subject: Mike Morgan <mwmbombay at gmail.com>



I think a misunderstanding has crept unawares into the discussion of
language origins and sign language

Although there seems to be little question that some great apes have
acquired a certain degree of faculty with sign VOCABULARY (exactly what
degree is maybe still in question), I am fairly certain that they have NEVER
been shown to possess sign LANGUAGE.

Language is MORE than just VOCABULARY. And while these same great apes (Nim,
Washoe et al) have been able to combine signs in novel ways, their
combinations, when looked at in totality (or at least the totality which the
researchers have provided us access to), these combinations do NOT show the
systemmaticity and rule-governed-ness that is required before we call it
syntax/grammar.

SO, the most I would be willing (on a VERY generous day) to admit to is that
these cousins use a pidgin, but unlike other (human) users of pidgins, a
pidgin without ANY L1 input!

ALL that said, I have no doubt that the acquisition of language by mankind
involved both vocal speech and manual signs developing equally ... and
taught exactly that when I was at Addis Ababa U,with ድንቅ ነሽ aka Lucy (or a
reasonable facsimile) lying peacefully just down the road a block.

       U C > || Mike Morgan
==========================
           linguist

 inshallah soon @ IGNOU-UCLan

Applied Sign Linguistics Programme

      New Delhi, India





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