Language and Niche Construction
Language and Niche Construction
This chapter considers the selectional effects of human niche creation on language evolution, effects that are linked with special characteristics of human social systems. It describes the evolution of a fully grammaticalized language and argues that quarantining the costs of deception was one of the factors driving grammaticalization. The chapter distinguishes between signaling systems and symbol-using systems, and shows that fundamental change in the organization of language itself—the grammaticalization of protolanguage—is in part driven by vetting issues. It suggests that the evolutionary transition from a basic protolanguage to full human language involved a multitude of changes to phonology, morphology, and syntax.
Keywords: human niche, grammaticalized language, social systems, grammaticalization, signaling systems, symbol-using systems, protolanguage, phonology, morphology, syntax
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