The Language Puzzle
The Language Puzzle

Author: Steven Mithen

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 2024-06-18

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 154160539X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A top scholar reveals the most complete picture to date of how early human speech led to the languages we use today The emergence of language began with the apelike calls of our earliest ancestors. Today, the world is home to thousands of complex languages. Yet exactly how, when, and why this evolution occurred has been one of the most enduring—and contentiously debated—questions in science. In The Language Puzzle, renowned archaeologist Steven Mithen puts forward a groundbreaking new account of the origins of language. Scientists have gained new insights into the first humans of 2.8 million years ago, and how numerous species flourished but only one, Homo sapiens, survives today. Drawing from this work and synthesizing research across archaeology, psychology, linguistics, genetics, neuroscience, and more, Mithen details a step-by-step explanation of how our human ancestors transitioned from apelike calls to words, and from words to language as we use it today. He explores how language shaped our cognition and vice versa; how metaphor advanced Homo sapiens’ ability to formulate abstract concepts, develop agriculture, and—ultimately—shape the world. The result is a master narrative that builds bridges between disciplines, stuns with its breadth and depth, and spans millennia of societal development. Deeply researched and brilliantly told, The Language Puzzle marks a seminal understanding of the evolution of language.

The Language Lover's Puzzle Book
The Language Lover's Puzzle Book

Author: Alex Bellos

Publisher: The Experiment

Published: 2021-11-09

Total Pages: 413

ISBN-13: 1615198040

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

100 challenging puzzles for would-be codebreakers that also celebrate the uniqueness of language—from hieroglyphics to the sign language of silent monks

The Language Puzzle
The Language Puzzle

Author: Steven Mithen

Publisher:

Published: 2024-03-07

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781800811584

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The relationship between language, thought and culture is of concern to anyone with an interest in what it means to be human.The Language Puzzle explains how the invention of words at 1.6 million years ago began the evolution of human language from the ape-like calls of our earliest ancestors to our capabilities of today, with over 6000 languages in the world and each of us knowing over 50,000 words. Drawing on the latest discoveries in archaeology, linguistics, psychology, and genetics, Steven Mithen reconstructs the steps by which language evolved; he explains how it transformed the nature of thought and culture, and how we talked our way out of the Stone Age into the world of farming and swiftly into today's Digital Age.While this radical new work is not shy to reject outdated ideas about language, it builds bridges between disciplines to forge a new synthesis for the evolution of language that will find widespread acceptance as a new standard account for how humanity began.

Puzzlings
Puzzlings

Author: George Yule

Publisher: Overyule

Published: 2017-10-05

Total Pages: 136

ISBN-13: 9780999499320

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Puzzlings ("little linguistic puzzles") are word games using examples from a hundred and one different languages. They are exercises for the mind that will help improve analytic skills and develop problem-solving strategies. These puzzles will make you smarter. On each page of the book you will find examples from different languages, with English translations, arranged in order to create a puzzle. The answers to each part of the puzzle are provided in lists on the same page. You just have to decide which answers go in the blanks. Correct solutions are provided in the back of the book. We have tried to divide the puzzles into groups that we think will be least difficult (Level 1) through to those that seem most challenging (Level 5). Within each level, the source languages are simply listed and the puzzles can be done in any order.

The American Sign Language Puzzle Book
The American Sign Language Puzzle Book

Author: Justin Segal

Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional

Published: 2003-04-24

Total Pages: 166

ISBN-13: 9780071413541

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

An essential accompaniment to the bestselling The American Sign Language Phrase Book, The American Sign Language Puzzle Book is an entertaining way for anyone learning to sign to test and build his or her knowledge. Featuring topics such as Everyday Expressions, Health, Clothing, Numbers, Time, and Money, The American Sign Language Puzzle Book incorporates an engaging variety of puzzle types, including scramble puzzles, word searches, matching puzzles, and crosswords, which are all complemented by exceptionally clear and helpful illustrations.

Foreign Language Word Fill-In Puzzles, Volume 1, 90 Puzzles
Foreign Language Word Fill-In Puzzles, Volume 1, 90 Puzzles

Author: Kooky Puzzle Lovers

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2016-06-29

Total Pages: 108

ISBN-13: 9781535003735

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

If you're a word fill-in fanatic and want something a little different -- this is the puzzle book for you. This book consists of several foreign languages. A few of the languages are Spanish, French, German, Italian, Swedish, and many more. Some puzzles have starter words, and some don't. The difficulty depends on your expertise. There are over 70 words per puzzle.

Spot the Difference Puzzles for Language Learning Fun
Spot the Difference Puzzles for Language Learning Fun

Author: David DeRocco

Publisher: Full Blast Productions

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 1895451299

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Spot the differences puzzles are the ones where you are given nearly identical drawings and you must spot the eight differences. This book consists of 50 spot the differences puzzles. But it is more than just a puzzle book. Each of the 50 drawings is on a subject that students must know about: things like giving directions, taking a driver's test, going to see a doctor, going to a job interview or asking a question in class. Each unit is a self-contained lesson on one of these subjects. To begin with each unit is four pages long. Students are first given a single, error free copy of the drawing, with which they identify objects in the drawing and brainstorm vocabulary. Next your students read a paragraph which tells the story of the drawing. Now your students come up with a title for the unit. Page two has the two copies of the drawing, with and without missing items, and space to write down what they are. Following this are a variety of vocabulary exercises and word puzzles. There is a close dictation and each unit provides a couple of personal interpretation questions, as well. There is a complete answer key.