Daniel Everett

In his groundbreaking new book Daniel Everett seeks answers to questions that have perplexed thinkers from Plato to Chomsky: when and how did language begin? What is it? And what is it for? Daniel Everett confounds the conventional wisdom that language originated with Homo sapiens 150,000 years ago and that we have a 'language instinct'. Drawing on evidence from a wide range of fields, including linguistics, archaeology, biology, anthropology and neuroscience, he shows that our ancient ancestors, Homo erectus, had the biological and mental equipment for speech one and half million years ago, and that their cultural and technological achievements (including building ocean-going boats) make it overwhelmingly likely they spoke some kind of language. How Language Began sheds new light on language and culture and what it means to be human and, as always, Daniel Everett spices his account with incident and anecdote. His book is convincing, arresting and entertaining.

Daniel Everett popisuje ohromujúce zážitky a objavy, ku ktorým sa dostal počas života s Pirahami ľuďmi z malého kmeňa amazonských Indiánov v strednej Brazílii. Daniel Everett prišiel medzi Pirahov so svojou ženou a tromi deťmi v nádeji, že ich obráti na kresťanstvo. Everetta okamžite zaujal ich jazyk a jeho kultúrne a lingvistické dôsledky, ktoré z neho vyplývali. Pirahovia nepoužívajú číselnú sústavu, žiadne názvy farieb, nepoznajú predstavu vojny či osobného vlastníctva. Everetta ich mierumilovný život natoľko očaril, že nakoniec stratil vieru v boha, ktorého dúfal, že im predstaví. Svoj život namiesto toho zasvätil lingvistike. Čiastočne horúce zápisky, čiastočne vedecký výskum. Everettov prevratný príbeh je strhujúcim pohľadom na povahu jazyka, myslenia a života vôbec.

In his groundbreaking new book Daniel Everett seeks answers to questions that have perplexed thinkers from Plato to Chomsky: when and how did language begin? What is it? And what is it for? Daniel Everett confounds the conventional wisdom that language originated with Homo sapiens 150,000 years ago and that we have a 'language instinct'. Drawing on evidence from a wide range of fields, including linguistics, archaeology, biology, anthropology and neuroscience, he shows that our ancient ancestors, Homo erectus, had the biological and mental equipment for speech one and half million years ago, and that their cultural and technological achievements (including building ocean-going boats) make it overwhelmingly likely they spoke some kind of language. How Language Began sheds new light on language and culture and what it means to be human and, as always, Daniel Everett spices his account with incident and anecdote. His book is convincing, arresting and entertaining.