On the speech of Neanderthal Man.
| Number | 104 |
|---|---|
| Year | 1971 |
| Drawer | 2 |
| Entry Date | 04/09/1998 |
| Authors | Lieberman, P. & Crelin, E. S. |
| Contact | |
| Publication | Linguistic Inquiry, II, 203-222. |
| url | http://www.haskins.yale.edu/Reprints/HL0104.pdf |
| Abstract | [Introduction] Language is undoubtedly the most important factor that differentiates man from other animals. Language is, in itself, a system of abstract logic; it allows man to extend his rational ability. Indeed, it has often been virtually equated with man’s abstract logical ability (Chomsky 1966). It is therefore of great interest to know when a linguistic ability similar to that of modern Man evolved. One of the most important factors in determining the form of man’s linguistic ability is his use of “articulate” speech. We will discuss the speech ability of an example of Neanderthal man, the La Chapell-aux-Saints fossil, in the light of its similarity to certain skeletal features in newborn humans. We herein use the term “Neanderthal” as referring to the so-called classic Neanderthal man of the Wurm or last glacial period. Our discussion essentially involves two factors. We have previously determined by means of acoustic analysis that Newborn humans, like nonhuman primates, lack the anatomical mechanism that is necessary to produce articulate speech (Lieberman 1968; Lieberman et al. 1968, 1969). That is, they cannot produce the range of sounds that characterizes human speech. We can now demonstrate that the skeletal features of Neanderthal man show that his supralaryngeal vocal apparatus was similar to that of a Newborn human. We will also discuss the status of Neanderthal man in human evolution. |
| Notes |
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