[language] From the Mouths of Babes

[H. Mark Hubey]

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Science marches on.  This should stir the linguistics
community.


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [evol-psych] From the Mouths of Babes
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 08:19:14 +0100
From: "Ian Pitchford" <ian.pitchford at scientist.com>

ABC NEWS
>From the Mouths of Babes
First Babblings May Give
Clue to the Origins of Language

The pattern of sounds in baby talk is similar to consonant-vowel structures
in 10 different languages and in what early humans might have spoken, a new
study says. (FPG International)

By Robin Eisner

N E W   Y O R K, April 20 — “Mama.” “Dada.” “Go go.”
     The next time you hear a baby babble, listen carefully. What we call
“baby talk” may actually have been some of the earliest forms of human
language.
     In research published in the current issue of Science, Dr. Peter
MacNeilage, professor of psychology of the University of Texas, in Austin,
says that language evolved from such simple sounds and easy mouth movements.
     His findings contradict the current prevailing theory on language, put
forth by linguist and author Noam Chomsky in the 1950s, which says the speech
is a uniquely human trait, a genetic gift.

Full text:
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/babbling000420.html

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