演化語言學或達爾文語言學是一種社會生物學取徑的語言學研究。演化語言學家認為語言學演化生物學和演化心理學的次領域。這種研究取徑也與演化人類學、認知語言學和生物語言學有所關連。演化語言學將語言視為先天的產物，主要關注於語言的生物性起源和語言的發展。演化語言學與人文主義取徑相對，特別是結構語言學。

該學科較大的一項挑戰是其缺乏實證資料：早期人類語言並無任何考古學證據。計算系統生物學與人工語言的臨床研究常用來填補這一部分的知識空缺。雖然一般認為是生物學形塑了大腦對於語言的處理，目前卻無法找到生物學與特定的語言結構或語言的普遍性的明確連結。

該領域一直缺乏突破性發展，隨之而來的是許多針的語言的自然本質的討論。有些人認為可將其視為一種器官或是有機體。有些人認為語言可視為一種晶體或非晶體式的礦物結構，一種基因突變，一種生物本能，一種寄生蟲一種複製器的群體；甚或是一種心智病毒。然而目前沒有任何科學證據可以證實上述說法，有些看法亦被視為偽科學。



參見


* 生物語言學

* FOXP2

* 語言的起源

* 歷史語言學

* 系統發生樹

* 達爾文主義



參考資料



延伸閱讀


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外部連結


* Agent-Based Models of Language Evolution （頁面存檔備份，存於網際網路檔案館）

* ARTI Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Vrije Universiteit Brussel （頁面存檔備份，存於網際網路檔案館）

* Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory （頁面存檔備份，存於網際網路檔案館）

* Computerized comparative linguistics （頁面存檔備份，存於網際網路檔案館）

* Fluid Construction Grammar （頁面存檔備份，存於網際網路檔案館）

* Language Evolution and Computation Bibliography

* Language Evolution and Computation Research Unit, University of Edinburgh