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From: merrill@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Why can't my cat talk?
Message-ID: <12400006@iuvax>
Date: Tue, 27-Oct-87 11:09:00 EST
Article-I.D.: iuvax.12400006
Posted: Tue Oct 27 11:09:00 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 29-Oct-87 23:14:51 EST
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Organization: Indiana University CSCI, Bloomington
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Nf-From: iuvax.cs.indiana.edu!merrill    Oct 27 11:09:00 1987


There is evidence that supports an argument the humans are
"pre-equipped" to speak and to participate in language.  In
particular, the structure of the adult human velum is different from that
found in other great apes, which, like human babies, can brethe while
they swallow.  Adult humans (in fact, human one-year-olds) can no
longer do so.  This modification is closely associated with the
ability of the tongue to produce a number of the standard vowels.

This argument is not air-tight, since children deaf from birth can
(and do, if given the chance) acquire language, even though they do
not speak.  On the other hand, if an external structure has evolved to
participate in linguistic performance, it is reasonable to argur that
many internal structures have, too.

John Merrill
ARPA:   merrill@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu
UUCP:   merrill@iuvax
BITnet: merrill%iuvax.cs.indiana.edu@psuvax