Linguistic Diversity [Paperback]

There are some 6,500 different languages in the world. This book investigates why diversity arose, how it relates to the origins and evolution of language and culture, and whether the uneven distribution of human languages may be linked with patterns of human geography and history. Daniel Nettle draws on work in anthropology, linguistics, geography, archeology, and evolutionary science to explain linguistic diversity.

1. Introduction
1.1 Preamble
1.2 The Family Tree Model
1.3 The Linguistic Item and Linguistic Pool
1.4 Levels and Diversity in the Linguistic Pool
1.5 Justification, Disguised as Apology
1.6 The Need for an Interdisciplinary Approach
2. Language Evolution: Basic Mechanisms
2.1 Introduction
2.2 The Neutral Model
2.3 Problems with the Neutral Model
2.4 Additional Amplifiers
2.5 Summary and Conclusions
3. Language Evolution: Computer Simulations
3.1 Introduction
3.2 The Use of Computer Simulations
3.3 Methods
3.4 Basic Results
3.5 More Realistic Social Structures
3.6 Social Selection
3.7 Functional Selection
3.8 Discrete Traits
3.9 Discussion
3.10 Adaptive Significance of Social Selection
4. Language Diversity: Patterns in Space
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Quantifying Language Diversity
4.3 Vectors of Language Spread
4.4 Case Studies
4.5 Ecological Risk as a Universal Constraint
4.6 Testing the Theory: Methods
4.7 Testing the Theory: Results
4.8 Hunter-gatherers
4.9 Conclusions
5. Language Diversity: Changes in Time
5.1 Introduction
5.2 The Palaeolithic Equilibrium
5.3 The Neolithic Punctuation
5.4 The Neolithic Aftershock
5.5 The Industrial Punctuation
5.6 Prospect
6. Phylogenetic Diversity
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Lineages and Stocks
6.3 The Distribution of Stocks
6.4 Stocks and Time: Nichol's Model
6.5 Stocks and Time: Al“©