The Evolution of Meaning
January 25–26, 2016
In most theories of the evolution of language, the focus has been on the evolution of linguistic form. But before there are words, there must be meanings to communicate. Thus quetions concerning conceptualization, in particular how it could become more complex in coevolution of language and how concepts can be shared, are equally important. The workshop will deal with themes related to the evolution of semantics, the relations between language and culture, and the relation between linguistic meaning and other forms of meaning, for example music. Also problems related to how meanings develop in children and how the evolution of meaning can be modelled and simulated in artificial systems will be discussed.
Convener
Contact
Participants
Dorit
Bar-On
Fellow
2015/2016
University of Connecticut, Storrs
Manfred
Bierwisch
Fellow
1991/1992
Ehemalige Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR, Berlin
Merlin
Donald
Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Uppsala
Gerhard
Jäger
Universität Tübingen
Michael
Tomasello
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig
Massimo
Warglien
Università Ca'Foscari, Venedig