Derek Bickerton was een taalkundige wiens werk over creoolse talen diepgaande inzichten bood in taalontwikkeling. Hij was een pionier van de bioprogramma-hypothese van taal, en suggereerde dat de universele overeenkomsten tussen creoolse talen voortkomen uit de manier waarop kinderen taal verwerven via een aangeboren, universele grammatica. Naast zijn academische bijdragen verkende Bickerton deze ideeën ook in zijn fictie, waarbij hij verhalen weefde die ingaan op de essentie van menselijke communicatie. Zijn geschriften belichten de fundamentele mechanismen die onze verbindingscapaciteit vormen.
Exploring the evolution of language, Derek Bickerton presents a fresh perspective on a complex scientific challenge. He critiques past theories and draws connections from various fields, including ant foraging, prehistoric herbivore distribution, and ecological niches. This interdisciplinary approach offers a novel explanation for how language developed, aiming to reshape conventional understanding of this intricate subject.
Focusing on the development of creole languages, the work introduces a groundbreaking theory linking their creation to universal language properties. It argues that these properties also appear in first-language acquisition and the evolution of language itself. The book sparked considerable debate and research in the field, challenging long-held views on language evolution. This edition includes a foreword that updates the original theory and references the author's later work for a deeper exploration of these concepts.
William Calvin and Derek Bickerton suggest that other evolutionary developments, not directly related to language, allowed language to evolve in a way that eventually promoted a Chomskian syntax.
Language and Species presents the most detailed and well-documented scenario to date of the origins of language. Drawing on "living linguistic fossils" such as "ape talk," the "two-word" stage of small children, and pidgin languages, and on recent discoveries in paleoanthropology, Bickerton shows how a primitive "protolanguage" could have offered Homo erectus a novel ecological niche. He goes on to demonstrate how this protolanguage could have developed into the languages we speak today."You are drawn into [Bickerton's] appreciation of the dominant role language plays not only in what we say, but in what we think and, therefore, what we are."—Robert Wright, New York Times Book Review"The evolution of language is a fascinating topic, and Bickerton's Language and Species is the best introduction we have."—John C. Marshall, Nature
Bickerton challenges conventional views on human nature by asserting that language is not merely a communication tool but an evolutionary adaptation that shapes intelligence and consciousness. He argues that the unique properties of human thought derive from language, which originated as a representational system. By introducing the concept of protolanguage, he highlights how early hominids used symbols, lacking the ability to transform imagination into reality—an ability that distinguishes humans. This work is essential for those interested in the intersection of language, behavior, and evolution.
A Trailblazing Linguist Finds Clues to Our Common Humanity in the World's Lowliest Languages
Exploring the essence of language and its transmission, this book delves into the scientific discovery of Creole languages, often overlooked and dismissed. It highlights the unique linguistic heritage of descendants of slaves and indentured laborers in plantation colonies, demonstrating how these languages defy historical barriers to communication. Through firsthand accounts, the narrative reveals the complexity and significance of these languages in understanding human identity and cultural legacy.
Set in fourth-century A.D. Egypt, the story follows Zachary, a failed hermit, and Leila, an ostracized nun, as they embark on a final journey together from the Nile valley. Their travels illuminate the complexities of early Christianity, exploring both its positive and negative aspects. As "casualties of life," their experiences reveal personal struggles against the backdrop of a transformative historical period.
The Murders of Boysie Singh, first published in 1962, is a classic for several reasons. It tells the true but almost unbelievable story of a Trinidadian badjohn who in the 1940s and 1950s was a much reported celebrity of the criminal and legal world. Believed to have committed scores of murders in his guise as a pirate who dumped would-be migrants from Trinidad to Venezuela overboard to the sharks, he was hanged for just one proven crime, a murder he in fact may not have done, and for which no body was found. The story that Derek Bickerton tells is a classic because it both focuses on themes that remain pertinent to Trinidadian culture and reminds the reader that current alarms about crime and an escalating murder rate are very far from new. Bickerton recognizes in Boysie Singh a particularly Trinidadian villain, one who for several decades evaded the law in part because of a popular ambivalence about crime. What was seen as “smartness” in challenging a deeply hierarchical colonial society was often admired, even if its victims were not from the elite.