Language Evolution and Computation Bibliography

This paper questions the assumption that subject-verb (SV) structures are basic and primary and shows instead that these apparently simple structures are quite complex informationally, intonationally, semantically, and syntactically. In contrast, we point out that verb-subject (VS) structures, particularly those involving unaccusative verbs and sentence focus, are simpler and better candidates for primary structures from an evolutionary point of view. From this perspective, Agent-first (SV) structures, which have been mentioned as examples of protolinguistic ''fossils'' (e.g. Jackendoff 2002), are not as basic as previously thought.