Luigi Luca Cavalli Sforza and the history of human languages: A linguist’s point of view

Giuseppe Longobardi

doi:10.47248/hpgg2303010002

Human Population Genetics and Genomics 2023;3(1):0002 | https://doi.org/10.47248/hpgg2303010002

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Luigi Luca Cavalli Sforza and the history of human languages: A linguist’s point of view

Giuseppe Longobardi

Department of Language and Linguistic Science, University of York, Vanbrugh College, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK

Academic Editor(s): Guido Barbujani

Received: Jul 25, 2022 | Accepted: Nov 29, 2022 | Published: Mar 4, 2023

This article belongs to the Special Issue Luca Cavalli-Sforza’s legacy, 100 years after his birth

Cite this article: Longobardi G. Luigi Luca Cavalli Sforza and the history of human languages: A linguist’s point of view. Hum Popul Genet Genom 2023; 3(1):0002. https://doi.org/10.47248/hpgg2303010002

Abstract

L.L. Cavalli Sforza had the great merit of transposing the methods and concepts of a modern natural science, human genetics, into historical research; after this model, it is now possible to transfer the research style and results of another growing discipline, cognitive biolinguistics, to the field of history. It is along this new line that it becomes finally possible to formally pursue Cavalli Sforza’s enterprise of assessing the degree of congruence between genetic and linguistic diversification of human populations.

Keywords

languages and genes, lexical vs. grammatical phylogenies, scientific history

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