The Talk.Origins Archive: Exploring the Creation/Evolution Controversy
Index to Creationist Claims,
edited by Mark Isaak, Copyright © 2004
Claim CG111:
If current languages evolved gradually from primitive grunts or noises,
earliest languages should be the simplest. But ancient languages such as
Latin and Vedic Sanskrit are more complex than modern languages in terms
of cases, genders, voices, verb forms, etc.
Source:
Response:
- Languages are not becoming less complex overall. They may be simpler
in some ways (such as verb endings) but are more complex in others
(such as syntax and vocabulary) (Teegarden 2002).
- Evolution is not necessarily a uniform progression from simple to
complex. Evolution towards simplicity is consistent with both
biological and linguistic evolution.
Links:
Teegarden, Dave, 2002 (Jan.). Feedback letter.
http://www.talkorigins.org/origins/feedback/jan02.html#language
References:
- Teegarden, D., 2002 (see above).
Further Reading:
Croft, William, 2001.
Explaining Language Change: An Evolutionary
Approach. Harlow, Essex: Longman.
created 2003年7月4日, modified 2004年1月8日