Evolution of Syntax and Semantics From Psycholinguistic and Neurolinguistic Perspectives

In the present paper, I shall provide a narrative review of selected scientific studies and discussions dealing with the evolution of semantics and syntax. The aim of the present paper is not to provide a complete review. The number of studies and discussions on language evolution has exploded recently and the studies stem from various scientific disciplines, impeding my ability to review and understand the entire literature. The focus of this paper will be on psycholinguistic and neurolinguistic literature which has, however, only sporadically tested hypotheses on language evolution. Independently of this obstacle, I shall search in these studies for potential implications for the evolution of semantics and syntax. The aim of this paper is to acquaint Croatian scientists with the topics of the evolution of semantics and syntax and offer them an interdisciplinary view of different approaches and problems which will provide basic information on the topic to the interested reader.In the second chapter, I shall briefly describe language evolution in the context of contemporary evolutionary sciences and address some studies which putatively show that animals may display both semantic and syntactic behaviors in their communication. In the third chapter, I shall introduce psycholinguistic and neurolinguistic studies which suggest that semantics and syntax are embodied in perceptuo-motor system. In the fourth chapter, I shall portray the protolanguage model of language evolution and the accompanying theory of language fossils.