Liz Bates' Quote

[Robin Campbell]

I recall this as Werner's Law: 'New forms first carry out old functions;
New functions are first carried out by old forms'. I think Dan Slobin may
have referred to it in that way sometime in the 60s. However, I'm sure
that Werner got it from Ernst Mayr. Now, where is that reference . . .

- Robin Campbell

On Fri, 16 Dec 2005, Brian MacWhinney wrote:

> Dear Helen et al.,
>      By the time Liz and I wrote the introductory chapter for our
> 1989 book, she had been using this particular phrasing for years in
> her inimitably articulate way.
>       The idea is fundamental to Darwin, but the source that she and
> I thought was the clearest on this was Werner and Kaplan's Symbol
> Formation from 1960.
>       By the way, the final shape of phrasing she adopted can itself
> be viewed metalinguistically as a new machine out of many old parts :)
>
> --Brian MacWhinney

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