Origins and evolution of language

The arbitrariness of a signal has long been seen as a theoretically important but difficult to pin down notion. In this article, we suggest there are at least two different notions of arbitrariness at play in philosophical and scientific debates concerning the use of arbitrary signals, and work towards improved analyses of both. We then consider how these different types of arbitrariness can co-occur and come apart. Finally, we examine the connections between these two types of arbitrariness and the cognitive complexity of signal users with an eye towards better evaluating one possible form of human-nonhuman communicative continuity. We show that each type of arbitrariness bears its own nuanced relationship to cognitive complexity, demonstrating the theoretical importanceof keeping these two notions separate.

In this paper we recall the arguments put forward in an attempt to link language origins and specific elements of the fossil record (pigment use, burial practices, personal ornaments, production of depictions and carving, musical traditions, various anatomical features), and summarise the scenarios proposed by palaeo-anthropologists and archaeologists to account for the emergence of modern behavioral traits.
This review challenges the idea of a strict link between biological and behavioural change and suggests that modern cognition and language are results of a gradual, complex and non-linear process to whose advancement different human populations and possibly a number of fossil human species have contributed.

Žarko B. Veljković
Milutin Mićić

Statements about Albanians in Serbian „Elementary school sixth grade history“ textbook

Summary

In *Kosovo, informatic war was and is being conducted in order to show that most holy shrines of the Serbian nation are integral part of Albanian culture and traditions. Nevertheless, in Serbian scientific community and educational system, by certain routine and without any bad intention, can be found opinions, which – by being inaccurate and not fully scientifically precise – go hand by hand with Albanian forging of *Kosovo history. In Serbian „Elementary school sixth grade history“ textbook, written by Serbian academician Rade Mihaljčić and published by „Textbook bureau“ in Belgrade, in chapter „South Slavs and autochthonous people“ it is written: „On the other hand, autochthonous people who lived together and whose settlements were grouped together in larger groups were not Slavicized. People who preserved it’s ethnic customs and other ethnic traits are Albanians. Part of Slavs who settled here adopted the language and customs of Albanians and merged with them.“, as well as: „In eastern Alps and in Balkans Slavs encountered autochtonous people, which started to raw back in hardly accessible mountain regions or ensconced themselves in fortified maritime cities. Part of the autochtonous people merged with the Slavs. People who preserved it’s ethnic customs and other ethnic traits are Albanians.“ However, these informations do not correspond with historical facts for Albanians originated from non-Romanized Dacians which after the preceding settlement of the Slavs there migrated to the area of nowadays central Albania where they mingled with non-Romanized Illyrians, parallelly receiving the Romance and Slavic lexis, and in that way they formed the Albanian nation and Albanian language in VIII century, having made their oldest ethnic name Albanians (Arbnesh) from the Romance name form of the Roman town of Albanum. Afterwards Albanians expanded by Albanizing the Romance population and precedingly settled Slavs, but also by extruding the Slavs and Serbians. In Kosovo and Metochia Serbians are predominant population till XVIII century and in XVIII, XIX and especially in XX century Albanians from the northern Albania in a larger and larger amount settled to Kosovo and Metochia, more and more Albanizing and extruding the Serbs. All these facts are based on the arguments from the independent scientific literature. Therefore we suggest that the above statements in Serbian „Elementary school sixth grade history“ textbook, written by Serbian academician Rade Mihaljčić and published by „Textbook bureau“ in Belgrade, in chapter „South Slavs and autochthonous people“, be emended to be as follows (emendations are bolded): „On the other hand, autochthonous people who lived together and whose settlements were grouped together in larger groups were not Slavicized. People who preserved it’s ethnic customs and other ethnic traits are nomadic Dacians, Illyrians and the Romance population. Nomadic Dacians, having mingled with autochtonous Illyrians emerged the Albanians and their language in VIII century. Afterwards Albanians expanded by Albanizing the Romance population and precedingly settled Slavs, but also by extruding the Slavs and Serbians. In Kosovo and Metochia Serbians are predominant population till XVIII century, from which time Albanians from the northern Albania in a larger and larger amount settled to Kosovo and Metochia, more and more Albanizing and extruding the Serbs.“, as well as: „In eastern Alps and in Balkans Slavs encountered autochtonous people, the Romance population, which started to raw back in less accessible mountain regions or ensconced themselves in fortified maritime cities. Part of these autochtonous people merged with the Slavs. People who preserved it’s ethnic customs and other ethnic traits are nomadic Dacians, Illyrians and the Romance population. Nomadic Dacians, having mingled with autochtonous Illyrians emerged the Albanians and their language in VIII century. Afterwards Albanians expanded by Albanizing the Romance population and precedingly settled Slavs, but also by extruding the Slavs and Serbians. In Kosovo and Metochia Serbians are predominant population till XVIII century, from which time Albanians from the northern Albania in a larger and larger amount settled to Kosovo and Metochia, more and more Albanizing and extruding the Serbs.“