The language puzzle: piecing together the six-million-year story of how words evolved
(Book)
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Eva H. Perry Regional - Adult Non-Fiction
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More Details
Published:
New York : Basic Books, 2024.
Format:
Book
Edition:
First US edition.
Physical Desc:
viii, 534 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm
Language:
English
ISBN:
9781541605381, 1541605381, 9781541605381, 1541605381
Notes
General Note
"Originally published in 2024 by Profile Books Ltd in Great Britain"--Title page verso.
Bibliography
Includes bibliographic references and index.
Description
"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"--,Provided by publisher.
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Citations
APA Citation (style guide)
Mithen, S. (2024). The language puzzle: piecing together the six-million-year story of how words evolved. First US edition. Basic Books.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)Mithen, Steven, 1960-. 2024. The Language Puzzle: Piecing Together the Six-million-year Story of How Words Evolved. Basic Books.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)Mithen, Steven, 1960-, The Language Puzzle: Piecing Together the Six-million-year Story of How Words Evolved. Basic Books, 2024.
MLA Citation (style guide)Mithen, Steven. The Language Puzzle: Piecing Together the Six-million-year Story of How Words Evolved. First US edition. Basic Books, 2024.
Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
Staff View
Grouped Work ID:
1126bd57-1753-f1d1-0b24-be4499021a14
Record Information
| Last Horizon Extract Time | Aug 13, 2025 09:25:55 AM |
|---|---|
| Last File Modification Time | Aug 14, 2025 05:12:35 AM |
| Last Grouped Work Modification Time | Aug 14, 2025 05:08:47 AM |
MARC Record
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| 003 | OCoLC | ||
| 005 | 20240720080000.0 | ||
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| 020 | |a 1541605381 |c $36.00 | ||
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| 020 | |a 1541605381 |q (hardback) | ||
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| 100 | 1 | |a Mithen, Steven, |d 1960- |e author. |4 aut | |
| 245 | 1 | 4 | |a The language puzzle : |b piecing together the six-million-year story of how words evolved / |c Steven Mithen. |
| 246 | 3 | |a Piecing together the 6 million year story of how words evolved | |
| 250 | |a First US edition. | ||
| 264 | 1 | |a New York : |b Basic Books, |c 2024. | |
| 300 | |a viii, 534 pages : |b illustrations, maps ; |c 25 cm | ||
| 336 | |a text |b txt |2 rdacontent | ||
| 336 | |a still image |b sti |2 rdacontent | ||
| 336 | |a cartographic image |b cri |2 rdacontent | ||
| 337 | |a unmediated |b n |2 rdamedia | ||
| 338 | |a volume |b nc |2 rdacarrier | ||
| 504 | |a Includes bibliographic references and index. | ||
| 500 | |a "Originally published in 2024 by Profile Books Ltd in Great Britain"--Title page verso. | ||
| 520 | |a "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"-- |c Provided by publisher. | ||
| 505 | 0 | |a Preface -- Introduction: The puzzle of language -- A brief history of humankind -- Words and language -- Monkeys and apes -- Speaking and hearing -- Iconic and arbitrary words -- Making tools -- Lessons from an artificial language -- Finding and learning the meaning of words -- Fire -- Language and the brain -- The genetics of language -- Words keep changing -- Language, perception and thought -- Signs and symbols -- Conclusion: the evolution of language -- Figure sources -- Acknowledgments -- Bibliography -- Notes -- Index. | |
| 588 | |a Description based on CIP data and publisher data; resource not viewed. |5 TnLvILS | ||
| 650 | 0 | |a Language and languages |x Variation | |
| 650 | 0 | |a Historical linguistics | |
| 650 | 0 | |a Language and culture | |
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