Linguistic researchers have discovered a link between the evolution of language and climate.
Many languages of the world use tone or pitch to give meaning to their words. University of Miami (UM) linguist Caleb Everett and his collaborators have uncovered that languages with complex tones –those that use three or more tones for sound contrast — are much more likely to occur in humid regions of the world, while languages with simple tone occur more frequently in desiccated regions, whether frigid areas or dry deserts.
Story: University of Miami | Photo: University of Miami
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