Laura Spinney

So there are these two main mechanisms, horizontal borrowing and vertical descent. Now, when you think about a family tree, that's only capturing the vertical aspect. the sort of familial genetic descent aspect of language evolution so in that sense it's a massive simplification but there clearly are descent aspects to language evolution i mean we We talked about the term for Father Sky.

So there are these two main mechanisms, horizontal borrowing and vertical descent. Now, when you think about a family tree, that's only capturing the vertical aspect. the sort of familial genetic descent aspect of language evolution so in that sense it's a massive simplification but there clearly are descent aspects to language evolution i mean we We talked about the term for Father Sky.

So there are these two main mechanisms, horizontal borrowing and vertical descent. Now, when you think about a family tree, that's only capturing the vertical aspect. the sort of familial genetic descent aspect of language evolution so in that sense it's a massive simplification but there clearly are descent aspects to language evolution i mean we We talked about the term for Father Sky.

You can see very clearly that there's a familial relationship between those terms. And there are certain sound laws that control that relationship. So the tree also simplifies things in the sense that it will show you crisp branchings between languages. But language, the definition of a language, as we know, is very troubled.

You can see very clearly that there's a familial relationship between those terms. And there are certain sound laws that control that relationship. So the tree also simplifies things in the sense that it will show you crisp branchings between languages. But language, the definition of a language, as we know, is very troubled.

You can see very clearly that there's a familial relationship between those terms. And there are certain sound laws that control that relationship. So the tree also simplifies things in the sense that it will show you crisp branchings between languages. But language, the definition of a language, as we know, is very troubled.

Because it's partly political, as Max Weinreich famously said, a language is a dialect with an army and a navy. And there's some truth in that, you know, there's a political aspect to the definition of the language. So the tree is very much a simplification. And like any model in mathematics or science, it's useful, but it's not the whole story.

Because it's partly political, as Max Weinreich famously said, a language is a dialect with an army and a navy. And there's some truth in that, you know, there's a political aspect to the definition of the language. So the tree is very much a simplification. And like any model in mathematics or science, it's useful, but it's not the whole story.

Because it's partly political, as Max Weinreich famously said, a language is a dialect with an army and a navy. And there's some truth in that, you know, there's a political aspect to the definition of the language. So the tree is very much a simplification. And like any model in mathematics or science, it's useful, but it's not the whole story.

And we have to bear that in mind because, you know, it's too easy to jump on that and think that explains everything when it certainly doesn't.

And we have to bear that in mind because, you know, it's too easy to jump on that and think that explains everything when it certainly doesn't.

And we have to bear that in mind because, you know, it's too easy to jump on that and think that explains everything when it certainly doesn't.

Absolutely. Because if you look at a family tree, then it all branches neatly back to one common ancestor. And then if that was a language that was really spoken once by real people, then it's very easy to make the leap then to say that it was spoken by one people in one place. I think that linguists and everybody who's interested in this question is very quick today to say, no, that's not true.

Absolutely. Because if you look at a family tree, then it all branches neatly back to one common ancestor. And then if that was a language that was really spoken once by real people, then it's very easy to make the leap then to say that it was spoken by one people in one place. I think that linguists and everybody who's interested in this question is very quick today to say, no, that's not true.

Absolutely. Because if you look at a family tree, then it all branches neatly back to one common ancestor. And then if that was a language that was really spoken once by real people, then it's very easy to make the leap then to say that it was spoken by one people in one place. I think that linguists and everybody who's interested in this question is very quick today to say, no, that's not true.

And you can see why very easily, if I give you a couple of examples, in Australia, amongst indigenous Australians, hundreds of different languages are spoken, but those people generally tend to consider themselves as ethnically quite similar. So there's one or a few ethnicities related with a huge and rich spectrum of languages. Take the other extreme, you've got English.

And you can see why very easily, if I give you a couple of examples, in Australia, amongst indigenous Australians, hundreds of different languages are spoken, but those people generally tend to consider themselves as ethnically quite similar. So there's one or a few ethnicities related with a huge and rich spectrum of languages. Take the other extreme, you've got English.

And you can see why very easily, if I give you a couple of examples, in Australia, amongst indigenous Australians, hundreds of different languages are spoken, but those people generally tend to consider themselves as ethnically quite similar. So there's one or a few ethnicities related with a huge and rich spectrum of languages. Take the other extreme, you've got English.

English is a language that is spoken by a dazzling array of people of different ethnicities and cultures. So there's clearly no one-to-one mapping of language, culture, and genetics. And that's why it's complicated and a very contentious point and discussed for over 200 years to say that there was a birthplace for these languages. We have to be clear what we're talking about.

English is a language that is spoken by a dazzling array of people of different ethnicities and cultures. So there's clearly no one-to-one mapping of language, culture, and genetics. And that's why it's complicated and a very contentious point and discussed for over 200 years to say that there was a birthplace for these languages. We have to be clear what we're talking about.