As humans our many levels of language use distinguish us from the rest of the animal world.
For many scholars it is the recursive aspect of human speech that makes it truly human. But
linguists continue to argue about what recursion actually is leading to the central dilemma:
is full recursion as defined by mathematicians really necessary for human language? Language
and Recursion defines the elusive construct with the goal of furthering research into language
and cognition. An up-to-date literature review surveys extensive findings based on non-verbal
communication devices and neuroimaging techniques. Comparing human and non-human primate
communication the book¿s contributors examine meaning in chimpanzee calls and consider the
possibility of a specific brain structure for recursion. The implications are then extended to
formal grammars associated with artificial intelligence and to the question of whether
recursion is a valid concept at all. Among the topics covered: ¿ The pragmatic origins of
recursion. ¿ Recursive cognition as a prelude to language. ¿ Computer simulations of recursive
exercises for a non-verbal communication device. ¿ Early rule learning ability and language
acquisition. ¿ Computational language related to recursion incursion and fractals ¿ Why there
may be no recursion in language. Regardless of where one stands in the debate Language and
Recursion has much to offer the science community particularly cognitive psychologists and
researchers in the science of language. By presenting these multiple viewpoints the book makes
a solid case for eventual reconciliation.
