Language Polygenesis: A Probabilistic Model

DAVID A. FREEDMAN; WILLIAM S-Y. WANG

doi:10.1537/ase.104.131

Anthropological Science

Online ISSN : 1348-8570
Print ISSN : 0918-7960
ISSN-L : 0918-7960

Language Polygenesis: A Probabilistic Model

DAVID A. FREEDMAN, WILLIAM S-Y. WANG

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Keywords: monogenesis, polygenesis, language emergence, historical linguistics

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

1996 Volume 104 Issue 2 Pages 131-137

DOI https://doi.org/10.1537/ase.104.131

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Abstract

Monogenesis of language is widely accepted, but the conventional argument seems to be mistaken; a simple probabilistic model shows that polygenesis is likely. Other prehistoric inventions are discussed, as are problems in tracing linguistic lineages.

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