New Study Explains Why Human Languages Share a Lot of the Same Grammar
upstart writes:
New Study Explains Why Human Languages Share a Lot of The Same Grammar:
There are around 7,000 human languages that we know of worldwide, and while they're all unique, they're also more similar than you might have realized - particularly when it comes to the grammar, or the way that sentences can be formed and used.
[...] "We propose that in the evolution of language, talking about language was a way of forming some of the first complex language structures and that from these structures new types of grammar could develop," says linguist Stef Spronck, from the University of Helsinki in Finland.
In many languages, reported (or indirect) speech - so sentences indirectly communicating what someone has said, rather than someone actually saying it - can give rise to new meanings that fit with certain grammatical categories.
[...] This extension of meaning, found in certain languages where reported speech is used, can be matched with grammatical constructions like aspect (how something extends over time), modality (discussing possible situations), and topic (what is being talked about), the researchers contend.
So it seems our collective understanding of grammar may have emerged out of the way we talk about other people. Using a sample of 100 languages, the researchers found that reported speech is found on all major continents, occurring independently of language families or areas of contact.
"Humans talk about other people's thoughts and statements all the time, from the moment we first learn to speak," says Spronck.
[...] The researchers suggest that reported speech is an important source for certain core parts of grammar, as well as the meaning of some verbs. It would, in fact, have been one of the first examples of complex language: talking about language.
Journal Reference:
Stef Spronck, Daniela Casartelli. In a Manner of Speaking: How Reported Speech May Have Shaped Grammar, Frontiers in Communication (DOI: 10.3389/fcomm.2021.624486)
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