Biolinguistic Investigations and the Formal Language Hierarchy Routledge Leading Linguists Series

This volume collects some of Juan Uriagereka?s previously published pieces and presentations on biolinguistics in recent years in one comprehensive volume. The book?s introduction lays the foundation for the field of biolinguistics, which looks to integrate concepts from the natural sciences in the analysis of natural language, situating the discussion within the minimalist framework. The volume then highlights eight of the author?s key papers from the literature, some co-authored, representative of both the architectural and evolutionary considerations to be taken into account within biolinguistic research. The book culminates in a final chapter showcasing the body of work being done on biolinguistics within the research program at the University of Maryland and their implications for interdisciplinary research and future directions for the field. This volume is essential reading for students and scholars interested in the interface between language and the natural sciences, including linguistics, syntax, biology, archaeology, and anthropology.

1. Introduction

2. Minimalism (with Cedric Boeckx)

3. Minimalizing Language Evolution: The Minimalist Program and the Evolutionary Sharping of Language (with Victor M. Longa & Guillermo Lorenzo)

4. Clarifying the Notion "Parameter"

5. Regarding the Third Factor: Arguments for a CLASH Model

6. A Geneticist’s Dream, a Linguist’s Nightmare: The Case of FOXP2 (with Massimo Pittelli-Palmarini)

7. The Archaeological Record Speaks: Bridging Anthropology and Linguistics (with Sergio Balari, Antonio Benítez-Burraco, Marta Camps, Víctor M. Longa, & Guillermo Lorenzo)

8. A Framework for the Comparative Study of Language (with James A. Reggia & Gerald S. Wilkinson)

9. The Immune Syntax Revisited: Opening New Windows on Language Evolution (with Antonio Benitez-Burraco)

10. Epilogue, Prologue – or What?

Juan Uriagereka is Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Maryland, College Park. His previous publications include Spell-Out and the Minimalist Program (2012) and Derivations: Exploring the Dynamics of Syntax (2002).