Language Evolution Books

Showing 1-50 of 75
Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.91 — 7,453 ratings — published 2010
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Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language (Hardcover)
by (shelved 2 times as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.73 — 4,535 ratings — published 2025
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Why Only Us: Language and Evolution Why Only Us: Language and Evolution (Hardcover)
by (shelved 2 times as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.78 — 289 ratings — published
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The First Idea: How Symbols, Language, and Intelligence Evolved from Our Primate Ancestors to Modern Humans The First Idea: How Symbols, Language, and Intelligence Evolved from Our Primate Ancestors to Modern Humans (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.87 — 113 ratings — published 2004
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The Singing Neanderthals: The Origins of Music, Language, Mind, and Body The Singing Neanderthals: The Origins of Music, Language, Mind, and Body (Hardcover)
by (shelved 2 times as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.89 — 673 ratings — published 2005
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The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.22 — 4,085 ratings — published 2005
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The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language – A Witty Linguistics Guide to How Tongues Mix, Mutate, and Evolve The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language – A Witty Linguistics Guide to How Tongues Mix, Mutate, and Evolve (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.00 — 3,273 ratings — published 2001
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Cloud Atlas Cloud Atlas (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.01 — 270,297 ratings — published 2004
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The Evolution of Communication (Bradford Books) The Evolution of Communication (Bradford Books)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.56 — 18 ratings — published 1996
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The Symbolic Species Evolved The Symbolic Species Evolved (Hardcover)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.25 — 4 ratings — published 2011
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Sydney Brenner's 10-on-10: The Chronicles Of Evolution Sydney Brenner's 10-on-10: The Chronicles Of Evolution (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.67 — 3 ratings — published
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Evolutionary Linguistics (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics) Evolutionary Linguistics (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.25 — 4 ratings — published 2012
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How Language Began: The Story of Humanity's Greatest Invention How Language Began: The Story of Humanity's Greatest Invention (Hardcover)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.45 — 1,020 ratings — published 2017
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Language in Prehistory Language in Prehistory (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.76 — 25 ratings — published 2015
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Genesis of Symbolic Thought Genesis of Symbolic Thought (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.67 — 21 ratings — published 2012
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Emergence of Protolanguage: Holophrasis Vs Compositionality Emergence of Protolanguage: Holophrasis Vs Compositionality (ebook)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 2.75 — 4 ratings — published 2010
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The Dawn of Language: Axes, Lies, Midwifery and How We Came to Talk The Dawn of Language: Axes, Lies, Midwifery and How We Came to Talk (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.98 — 599 ratings — published 2019
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Origins of Language: A Slim Guide Origins of Language: A Slim Guide (Hardcover)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.69 — 68 ratings — published 2014
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Dark Matter of the Mind: The Culturally Articulated Unconscious Dark Matter of the Mind: The Culturally Articulated Unconscious (Hardcover)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.91 — 45 ratings — published
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Language: The Cultural Tool Language: The Cultural Tool (Hardcover)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.63 — 426 ratings — published 2012
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The Evolution of Human Language: Biolinguistic Perspectives (Approaches to the Evolution of Language) The Evolution of Human Language: Biolinguistic Perspectives (Approaches to the Evolution of Language)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.75 — 8 ratings — published 2010
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From Signal to Symbol: The Evolution of Language (Life and Mind: Philosophical Issues in Biology and Psychology) From Signal to Symbol: The Evolution of Language (Life and Mind: Philosophical Issues in Biology and Psychology)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.92 — 12 ratings — published
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The Iconic Roots of Language: Essays on the Non-Arbitrary Origins of Human Communication The Iconic Roots of Language: Essays on the Non-Arbitrary Origins of Human Communication (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.00 — 1 rating — published 2008
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Speaking Our Minds: Why human communication is different, and how language evolved to make it special Speaking Our Minds: Why human communication is different, and how language evolved to make it special (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.18 — 40 ratings — published 2014
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The Oxford Handbook of Language Evolution The Oxford Handbook of Language Evolution (Hardcover)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.30 — 10 ratings — published 2012
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Lucy to Language: The Benchmark Papers Lucy to Language: The Benchmark Papers (Hardcover)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.33 — 3 ratings — published 2014
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Origins of Human Communication Origins of Human Communication (Hardcover)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.14 — 299 ratings — published 1999
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The Symbolic Species: The Co-evolution of Language and the Brain The Symbolic Species: The Co-evolution of Language and the Brain (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.21 — 611 ratings — published 1997
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The Origins of Meaning (Oxford Studies in the Evolution of Language) The Origins of Meaning (Oxford Studies in the Evolution of Language)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.15 — 26 ratings — published 2007
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Cognition and Material Culture: The Archaeology of Symbolic Storage (Monograph Series) Cognition and Material Culture: The Archaeology of Symbolic Storage (Monograph Series)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.67 — 6 ratings — published 1999
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A Primate's Memoir: A Neuroscientist's Unconventional Life Among the Baboons A Primate's Memoir: A Neuroscientist's Unconventional Life Among the Baboons (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.39 — 8,973 ratings — published 2001
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The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution (Hardcover)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.16 — 56,332 ratings — published 2009
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The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language (Hardcover)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.23 — 12,592 ratings — published 2011
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Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.22 — 1,467 ratings — published 1999
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The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World (CBC Massey Lecture) The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World (CBC Massey Lecture)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.22 — 4,239 ratings — published 2009
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The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.09 — 28,767 ratings — published 1991
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Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.94 — 75,026 ratings — published 2004
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Speak Not: Empire, Identity and the Politics of Language Speak Not: Empire, Identity and the Politics of Language (Hardcover)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.92 — 118 ratings — published
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Kingdom of Characters: The Language Revolution That Made China Modern Kingdom of Characters: The Language Revolution That Made China Modern (Hardcover)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.85 — 1,888 ratings — published 2022
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Languages in the World: How History, Culture, and Politics Shape Language Languages in the World: How History, Culture, and Politics Shape Language (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.00 — 14 ratings — published 2015
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Language, Cognition, and Human Nature: Selected Articles Language, Cognition, and Human Nature: Selected Articles (Hardcover)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.77 — 98 ratings — published 2013
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Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.80 — 781 ratings — published 2012
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How Dead Languages Work How Dead Languages Work (Hardcover)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.01 — 217 ratings — published
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The Art of Language Invention: From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves to Sand Worms, the Words Behind World-Building The Art of Language Invention: From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves to Sand Worms, the Words Behind World-Building (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.13 — 2,053 ratings — published 2015
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Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.07 — 3,111 ratings — published 2005
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The Power of Babel: Language & Governance in the African Experience The Power of Babel: Language & Governance in the African Experience (Hardcover)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.20 — 10 ratings — published 1998
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Evolution of Language, the - Proceedings of the 9th International Conference (Evolang9) Evolution of Language, the - Proceedings of the 9th International Conference (Evolang9)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 0.0 — 0 ratings — published 2012
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The Evolution Of Human Languages (SANTA FE INSTITUTE STUDIES IN THE SCIENCES OF COMPLEXITY PROCEEDINGS) The Evolution Of Human Languages (SANTA FE INSTITUTE STUDIES IN THE SCIENCES OF COMPLEXITY PROCEEDINGS)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 4.00 — 3 ratings — published 1991
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Eve Spoke: Human Language and Human Evolution Eve Spoke: Human Language and Human Evolution (Hardcover)
by (shelved 1 time as language-evolution)
avg rating 3.56 — 50 ratings — published 1998
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Jo Walton
“Welsh mutates initial consonants. Actually all languages do, but most of them take centuries, while Welsh does it while your mouth is still open.”
Jo Walton, Among Others

Kory Stamper
“We think of English as a fortress to be defended, but a better analogy is to think of English as a child. We love and nurture it into being, and once it gains gross motor skills, it starts going exactly where we don't want it to go: it heads right for the goddamned electrical sockets. We dress it in fancy clothes and tell it to behave, and it comes home with its underwear on its head and wearing someone else's socks. As English grows, it lives its own life, and this is right and healthy. Sometimes English does exactly what we think it should; sometimes it goes places we don't like and thrives there in spite of all our worrying. We can tell it to clean itself up and act more like Latin; we can throw tantrums and start learning French instead. But we will never really be the boss of it. And that's why it flourishes.”
Kory Stamper, Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries

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